


Blue Hydrangea

by ReluctantHero



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha Eren Yeager, Angst, Awkward Boners, Character Death, Cheating, Child Eren Yeager, Child Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Confessions, Eren and Levi are just friends, Everyone Finds Out, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluffiness, Hanahaki Disease, Hospitals, I'm not good at that, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Memory Loss, Mention Oluo/Petra, Mikasa's parents don't have names so I made them up, Minor Erwin Smith/Mike Zacharias, Minor Hange Zoë/Petra Ral, Minor Levi/Petra Ral, Minor Levi/Zeke, Minor Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Minor Mikasa Ackerman/Sasha Blouse, Minor Moblit Berner/Hange Zoë, Minor Petra/Jean, Minor Reiner/Connie, Minor depressed Levi, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Omega Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Original Character(s), Persistent Eren, Petra is popular apparently, Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Pregnancy, Sexual Content, Shy Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Sick Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Slow Build, Things are going to get sad, babies are a thing when everyone is growing up and getting together, first heat, for now, gotta counteract the angst a little, hanahaki surgery, happy endings, have I forgotten any more tags?, have I not added that tag yet? oops, it is a/b/o afterall, life threatening illnesses, mentions of mpreg, rebuilding relationships, tags updates as story progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2018-11-18 16:11:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 182,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11294175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReluctantHero/pseuds/ReluctantHero
Summary: Levi was 8 years old when his mother got a new job and moved them to a small two bedroom basement apartment on the nicer side of town.The change was a little overwhelming, that was until he met the boy with the big ocean eyes that lived upstairs.Maybe life wouldn't be so bad after all...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so I'm going a little outside of my comfort zone for this fic.
> 
> I wrote the beginning of this months ago; playing with the A/B/O topic, but couldn't figure out where I wanted to go with it.  
> Then Akitanuki requested I write something with Hanahaki Disease.
> 
> Neither of these topics were something I ever thought I'd write about. I love A/B/O fics and I've read some beautiful Voltron Hanahaki fics, But i have confidence issues.  
> I looked for SNK Hanahaki fics and there's only one; a One Shot with Hange/Petra, which I haven't read yet but I definitely will! (Unless there are others that haven't been tagged. Let me know if there are, I would like to read them)  
> So I figured I'd give it a shot! That's how you get better at things isn't it? Challenging yourself?
> 
>  
> 
> I agonized and re-wrote this so many times over the last month (to the point that I stopped and wrote Based on Personality in between :P) I feel I finally have enough written and enough of an idea to post the first chapter so I hope it's okay and I really hope you like it!
> 
>  
> 
> Note:  
> I got my understanding of Hanahaki Disease mostly from reading other fanfics, and a little side research.  
> Definition:  
> <http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hanahaki%20disease>
> 
> [](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hanahaki%20disease)  
> hanahaki disease 
> 
> a fictional (emphasis on fictional) disease, often used in fanfictions, where the victim regurgitates and coughs up flower petals when they suffer from unrequited love. The illness can only be cured through surgical removal, however any existing romantic feelings are also removed with the infection.

* * *

 

Levi sat down on the small mattress in his new room, there wasn't much in it; a few worn out outfits hanging in the closet, a box with his personal things, and his school backpack. He didn't have much and the small amount made this room look giant and empty.  

The new two bedroom apartment Levi and his mother had moved in to was by no means large or lavish but next to the one they had just moved from it was it was a palace. It was a clean, well-kept basement apartment in a nice looking house, on a quiet street, in a safe neighborhood.  

Levi had no idea how his mother could afford this place, their last apartment was a run down, one bedroom; bad for even the poor part of town. Unfortunately he was eight years old and his mother wouldn't discuss their financial situation with him, despite him probably understanding it better than she did herself.  

"What do you think?" Kuchel asked from the doorway, a small smile on her face.  

"It's big." Levi said simply.  

"You'll get used to it." Kuchel laughed lightly.  

"Can I just sleep in your room?" Levi whispered.  

"Levi, you're a big boy in your own room, shouldn't you be excited?" Kuchel asked, sitting next to him and wrapping her arm around him in a light squeeze as Levi only shrugged and looked at his feet.  

"At least give it a try. If you get scared you always know where to find me." She said.

Levi leaned into his mother's embrace for a moment; rubbing her back as her simple throat clearing turned into a small fit of coughing. It was a regular thing; Kuchel had had mild health issues for a long as Levi could remember which was partially why he was as glad as he was confused about her new job and their new home. As Kuchel caught her breath and gave Levi a soft smile there was a knock on the door. She raised her brow in confusion before the two made their way to the door; opening to reveal a brown haired woman holding a dish, and a small boy beside her, their faces were nearly the same and their smiles identical. 

 

 

"Hi Kuchel! I hope this isn't a bad time, we wanted to welcome you." The woman said cheerfully. 

"And we made dinner!" The young boy added equally as cheerful. Levi eyed him from behind Kuchel. He was skinny, his limbs were too long, and he smiled too much, but he did have the most peculiar eyes Levi had ever seen. They were green but more of a mixture of blue and green; like looking into an endless ocean. They were almost too big for his small face but so captivating and beautiful that it went unnoticed.    

"Carla! Come in!" Kuchel exclaimed, clearing her throat and stepping aside to let them in.   

"Levi this is Carla, she's our landlord and the lady that helped get me my new job." Kuchel explained. 

"My god Kuchel, he looks just like you!" Carla exclaimed before leaning down to look Levi in the eye. "It's so nice to meet you Levi." She smiled. Levi held onto his mother tightly, unsure how to react around this friendly woman; where he used to live it had been unsafe to do so easily. 

"Likewise." He said quietly. 

"He's a little shy." Kuchel explained with a smile. 

"Oh that's alright, I'm sure he'll warm up to us in no time, Eren is very excited to have a new friend." Carla explained and the small boy smiled brightly. 

"Say Hello to Ms. Ackerman and Levi, Eren." She added 

"Hi Ms. Ackerman, Hi Levi." Eren said happily; large eyes focusing on Levi.  

"You can call me Kuchel, Eren. Now Levi you be nice to Eren, he's younger than you." Kuchel warned. Levi nodded shyly.  

"Would you like some tea?" Kuchel asked, leading them to the kitchen. 

"Hey, can I see your room?" Eren asked Levi, ignoring the conversation their mothers were already engrossed in. 

"But we're having tea..." Levi said almost desperately and Eren wrinkled his nose. Levi glanced over to his mother who gave him a look and a nod to go on. 

"Come on." He sighed, leading the other boy down the short hallway and into his new room. 

 

"It's... nice" Eren said looking around at the bare walls and the small mattress laying on the floor without a frame.  

"I don't have very much." Levi said quietly, looking at the floor.  

"That's okay! You can come up to my room and play with my toys whenever you want!" Eren said happily as he flopped down on Levi's bed.  

"Thanks.." Levi said hesitantly, watching Eren closely. He was odd; happy and excited even in Levi's boring, bare room. He seemed to be always smiling, which made his gigantic eyes sparkle. Levi felt like he should be annoyed by this boy, but he wasn't and he didn't know why.  

"How old are you?" Eren asked as Levi shyly moved to sit beside him on the bed.  

"Eight." He said simply.  

"Really?! But you're smaller than me! I just turned 6!" Eren shouted. Levi glared at him.  

"I am not smaller than you. We're the same size. Not my fault you’re like a 6 year old troll" He snapped. Eren just laughed. 

"You're funny!" He said with another smile. Levi's eyes widened as he felt his cheeks heat up and he looked away quickly. 

"Hey, maybe you're an Omega! Omega's are small aren’t they?" Eren said, Levi furrowed his brows. 

"Boys aren't Omegas!" He said though he was in no way sure of that statement, all he knew was being an Omega was not a good thing. 

"No? Oh." Eren said, losing his smile as he thought about it. 

"I don’t know. Are they? I don't want to be one, my mom is one and she said being an Omega is hard. She usually comes home with bruises and we lived in a bad neighbourhood." Levi said quietly. 

"My mom says Omegas are precious and they need to be protected! Hey maybe I'll be an Alpha!" Eren exclaimed. Levi raised an eyebrow, unsure how the two were connected. 

"You can be my Omega, I'll keep you safe!" Eren said smiling brightly. Levi felt his ears turn pink as he looked at the younger boy with wide eyes. 

"O-okay." Levi stammered, looking down at his hands as they fell into a comfortable silence. 

 

 

"I like your hair." Eren said suddenly, reaching over an flicking Levi's nearly shoulder length hair. He was all over the place, it was hard to keep up. "My mom won’t let mine grow out. My friend Armin has long hair too but it's blonde and not as pretty as yours." Eren rambled happily. 

"I like your eyes." Levi blurted awkwardly; unsure how to handle the compliments and the rambling boy beside him.  

"Thanks!" Eren beamed. "Hey I have a Super Nintendo, wanna go upstairs and play Donkey Kong?" Eren asked jumping off the bed in excitement. 

"Are we allowed?" Levi asked. Eren stopped his bouncing, a concentrated look on his face. He was so expressionate but with the attention span of a Goldfish. Levi found it almost endearing, his lips turning up into a slight smile.  

"I don't know. I'll ask my Mom." He said before dashing out of the room. 

 

 

 

"Of course we can. Kuchel would you like to come up for dinner. That casserole will keep until tomorrow, we'd love to have you." Carla was saying as Levi made his way into the kitchen. 

"That sounds lovely. If it's not too much trouble." Kuchel said, Carla waved her off and led them all to the upstairs portion of the house. 

Eren took Levi's hand and pulled him toward the living room where he kept him game console. 

"Do you want to be Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong?" Eren asked. 

"I..um. I'm not sure. I've never played Super Nintendo before." Levi said hesitantly. 

"Oh. Well that's cool. It's not that hard, you can be Diddy, he's second player but we can switch out sometimes when you get better." Eren said. Levi nodded and Eren set it up. 

It didn't take him long to figure out how to play and soon they were flying through the levels, Levi playing first player most of the time. Eren didn’t seem to mind either, he spent the time laughing and shouting and just having a great time playing with Levi. Levi couldn't help but to smile and laugh quietly along with him, he had never had an actual friend before. Eren didn't seem to mind Levi's standoffish-ness, he seemed to see past Levi's shyness and naturally indifferent neutral expression that most people thought was weird and unsettling for a young child. Levi was starting to hope that this turned into a real friendship. 

 

 

 

When Carla called them for dinner Eren took Levi by the hand again to pull him towards the kitchen. Eren insisted they sit as close as possible as their mother's laughed at Eren's excitement, accompanied by Levi's blushes.  

Carla and Kuchel seemed to be hitting it off as well, chatting adamantly all afternoon and though dinner. After cleaning up the dishes they sat down with coffee while Eren brought Levi to his room to play with his toys.   

Levi hadn't realized he had fallen asleep after they made their way back to the living room and turned on a movie. He found himself on the couch, Eren's chest curled against his back and arms holding him tightly as he snored lightly.  

"Aww, aren’t they sweet." Carla said as Kuchel shook Levi awake gently. 

"Baby, it's time to go home." She whispered. Levi rubbed his eyes and looked up at his mother, Carla, and a man with long hair and glasses, he hadn't seen before. 

"Looks like Eren made a new friend." He said with a fond smile as he bent over to pick Eren up off the couch.  

Eren woke as his father was detangling him from Levi.  

"Hey, where's Levi?" He said in sleepy panic, wiggling to get down.  

"Eren, Levi has to go home now." Carla said gently. As soon as Eren's feet touched the floor he dashed towards Levi; wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.  

"Will you come over again tomorrow?" He asked. Levi stiffened in surprise  

"Eren, don't pressure Levi. He might not want to come over every day." Carla said gently.  

"I'd like to... If that's okay." Levi said nervously, moving his hands awkwardly to wrap around Eren.  

"Of course it is, you're welcome here whenever you want." Carla smiled  

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow!" Eren said letting Levi go with a big grin before Levi walked over to his mother. 

"Thank you so much for dinner. And everything else." Kuchel said giving Carla a friendly hug. Clearing her throat harshly afterwards, looking embarrassed. 

"No problem at all! I hope we can become great friends!" Carla smiled. 

"And Kuchel, you should let me take a look at that cough tomorrow!" Grisha said with a smile and a handshake. She just nodded and led Levi out. 

  

 

"Oh Levi, you forgot this." Eren said holding out the stuffed horse Levi had been cuddling with most of the evening.  

"That's yours." Levi said with slight confusion.  

"You like him and you don't have very many toys, I want you to keep him." Eren smiled.  

Levi stared at him in surprise for a moment before slowly reaching for it.  

"T-thanks." He said quietly, giving Eren a small smile, holding the toy tight to his chest as he and his mother walked back to their new apartment. It was looking a lot better to Levi now than it had a few hours ago.  

 

 

"So you and Eren seemed to get along." Kuchel said as she tucked Levi into his bed, sitting on the edge and leaning over him. Levi cuddled his new stuffed horse and nodded up at his mother. 

"Good, maybe you two will become good friends." Kuchel said, kissing his forehead and moving to get up.  

"Mom?" Levi asked quietly, Kuchel turned back towards him waiting for the question. 

"Can boys be Omegas?" He asked.  

"They can." She said simply. 

"Do you think I will be one?" He asked quietly. Kuchel's eyes softened and she petted Levi's hair. 

"I'm not sure. We won't find out until you're older but you do have some of the physical signs of Omegas." Kuchel said. 

"Eren said he would be my Alpha." Levi said, avoiding his mother's eyes as he felt the blush on his cheeks. 

"Did he now?" Kuchel smirked. 

"He's weird." Levi tried to diffuse his embarrassment. 

"I think Eren will make a very good Alpha; he comes from a very nice family who help people like us. I met Carla at the grocery store and she has done so much for us. She got me my new job at the hospital flower shop and offered their basement apartment for rent we can actually afford." Kuchel explained, which answered the questions Levi had been wondering for the last week.  

"And maybe Eren's dad can fix your cough. He's a good doctor right?" Levi asked. Kuchel just smiled at him and kissed him goodnight. Levi hugged his horse a little tighter and fell asleep in his new bed. Maybe his room wasn't so bad, not with someone like Eren upstairs anyway. 

 

 

 

The next day Levi was itching to go play with Eren again but he was too afraid to go up on his own. Eren told him to come over again but what if he had forgotten? What if Eren said things in the moment but didn't actually mean them? What if Eren realized Levi was a neurotic 8 year old who spent too much time overthinking things. 

"Levi, he invited you over, why don't you just go knock on the door?" Kuchel said from the kitchen where she was putting away the little belongings she had brought with them. 

"What if he doesn't want me to come over anymore?" Levi asked, pacing around the room. 

"I'm sure that's not the case. Would you like me to walk up with you?" Kuchel asked. Levi thought about it for a moment, almost agreeing to it before his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.  

Kuchel hurried to answer it, opening it to Eren who looked worried. 

"Levi! I thought you were coming over." He said. 

"I..um. I was. I didn’t know when you wanted..." Levi stammered as Eren's face broke out into the familiar smile. 

"Great! Come on! My friend Armin is over!" He said taking Levi's hand and pulling him through the door. 

"If your friend is over I can stay home." Levi said insecurely. 

"No! He's my best friend, you have to meet him!" Eren continued to pull; he was surprisingly strong for a 6 year old. He led him up to his house and into his bedroom where a small blonde boy; even smaller than Levi was sitting on his bed looking at a book. The boy looked up and smiled when they came in the room. 

"Armin, this is Levi. He's going to be my Omega someday!" Eren grinned proudly, making Levi blush. 

"I'm not an Omega yet." He mumbled. 

"Hi." Armin said with a smile, Levi gave him a nod. 

"What do you want to do?" Eren asked, eyes locked on Levi and a big smile on his face. 

"I-I don't know. We could play Donkey Kong again." Levi suggested shyly. 

"Yes! Let's play Donkey Kong 2! That's the best one!" Eren said dashing towards the living room to set it up. 

"There are two Donkey Kong games?" Levi asked as Armin hopped off the bed and the two followed Eren to the other room. 

"There are three actually." Armin laughed. "You'll have to get used to them if you want to be friends with Eren, he loves video games." He added. 

"I don’t mind." Levi said quietly; sitting down on the couch. Eren skipped over, passing a controller to Armin and the other to Levi before plopping down beside Levi and putting his arms around the older boys waist. Levi blushed and looked at him. 

"We played yesterday so Armin can be one player and we'll share the other." Eren said happily. Levi nodded slowly and turned toward the TV, trying to focus on the new game. 

 

 

Levi had to go to his new school the next day; His mother walked him there before she headed to her new job. Levi kissed her goodbye and wished her good luck. He was very happy about her new job; maybe she wouldn't have to work so late in the night anymore, or come home bruised, hurt, and smelling like aggressive Alphas. 

He sat silently in his classroom, just looking around before the teacher began; silently begging she didn't call on him. The other kids were loud; laughing and playing together, a lot like Eren. Except Levi didn't seem to mind when it was Eren. They were all bigger than him too. Eren was right, he was no bigger than a kindergartener. 

He managed minimal contact most of the day; following the rest of the class outside for the second half of lunch. He kept to himself; walking around the playground. There were far too many children for Levi to even try to get close to the playground equipment, even if he would have enjoyed a swing. 

"Levi!!" He heard a screech before he was tackled; arms wrapped around his neck in a tight embrace. 

"Eren?" Levi exclaimed in surprise 

"Eren Jaegar! Get back here now!" The small white haired teacher on duty yelled from the fenced area. Eren and Levi both looked over at the angry teacher. 

"I'm not supposed to be over here. The Kindergarten playground is over there." Eren said, then pulled Levi toward the fence. 

"Who's your friend Eren?" The teacher asked. 

"This is Levi Miss Rico. He's my mate!" Eren said proudly, making Levi blush again and Miss Rico laughed."Is he? Aren't you a bit young to be making decisions like that?" She asked. 

"I don’t care! Levi will be my Omega and I'm going to protect him!" Eren demanded. 

"Alright. The older children aren't supposed to play in here but if you promise to stay right here I'll let you two play together by the gate." Rico said. 

"Thanks Miss Rico!" Eren said, pulling Levi over to sit against the fence. 

"I didn’t know you were in my school!" Eren said smiling. 

"It’s my first day." Levi said. 

"Well now we can see each other more! And next year I'll be in the big playground with you!" Eren said excitedly. 

"That'll be nice." Levi said giving Eren a tiny smile. They spent the rest of the lunch hour together until the bell rang and they had to go to their separate classes. 

 

 

 

 

"Hey look, Levi's playing with the Kindergarteners again! What a loser!" A tall brown haired/freckled girl named Ymir from Levi's class laughed loudly. It had been a couple weeks since Levi started spending lunch times with Eren and his friends; his class had noticed and started teasing him. Calling him a baby or a loser for hanging out with the younger kids. He didn't care, they meant nothing to him, all that mattered was that he had Eren. 

Eren on the other hand became angry at the older kids words.  

 

"Don’t you talk about my Omega that way!" Eren yelled, standing up and trying to look intimidating. 

"Your Omega?" She scoffed, laughing in his face; Reiner laughing behind her. 

"Yes my Omega! I'm going to protect him from people like you!" Eren puffed up and stepped between them and Levi. Ymir and Reiner laughed, along with the other kids who gathered at the commotion. 

"Oh yeah? How?" Reiner smirked, towering over Eren, though Eren didn't falter. Reiner pushed him with a laugh; almost knocking Eren off his feet. Eren recovered quickly and lunged toward Reiner with a shout. Reiner blocked him and pushed Eren harder, knocking him down on the grass, still laughing. Eren scraped his elbow but looked angrier than ever, about to jump up and attack Reiner again. 

"Don't you touch him!" Levi growled before swinging hard and punching Reiner hard in the face, knocking the large boy down. Everyone who had gathered at the scuffle stared at Levi with wide eyes and open mouths before the teachers came and separated everyone, dragging them to the Principal's office. 

 

 

 

"Levi! What happened, are you okay?" Kuchel rushed into the office, kneeling in front of him and checking him out, he had no injuries other than some bruising on his knuckles. 

"I'm fine mom." Levi said quietly; Kuchel eyed Reiner and his bruised face, and Ymir who sat with her arms folded across her chest and a smirk on her face, beside Levi. 

"We’ll talk when I get out." She warned and went into the principal's office, where the teachers and other parents were waiting. 

 

 

"You know, you’re okay Levi." Ymir said when they were alone, Levi gave her an odd look in response. 

"You picked on me, I punched Reiner and got us sent to the principal, now  you think I'm okay?" He asked with a raised brow. 

"Hey, not many kids can take out Reiner, especially one as small as you." She grinned. 

"It’s true, that was a good punch." Reiner smirked from beside her. 

"Let's be friends." Ymir said. Levi stared at them in disbelief for a moment 

"You can’t pick on Eren." He said with a glare. 

"Promise." They both said with a smile.  

"You have to apologize to him." Levi added. 

"Fine." They agreed. 

"Alright. Let's be friends." Levi said and sat back in his chair, waiting for his mother. 

 

 

Kuchel was not happy when she came out of the office. The three had been sent home for the remainder of the day and Levi was banned from the Kindergarten area during lunch for the remainder of the year. Luckily the school year was nearly over; he and Eren would be able to spend the summer together and would be spending the next school year on the same playground during lunch.  

Levi followed his mother back to her work. 

"Are you mad?" Levi asked quietly as they walked in silence. He wasn't used to his mother being angry with him. 

"What possessed you to hit that kid? I thought you knew better than that!" Kuchel huffed angrily, causing her to cough harshly. 

"He pushed Eren." Levi said looking at his feet, hating when his mother coughed, even worse when he caused her to do it. 

"He what?! That kid is more than twice the size of you! And Eren!" Kuchel exclaimed, her eyes wide in disbelief 

"They were making fun of me for spending time with Eren during lunch because he's in Kindergarten. Eren got mad and tried to hit him, Reiner knocked him down so I punched him." Levi explained. 

"Was Eren okay? I didn’t see him or Carla." Kuchel asked. 

"I told the teacher Eren didn’t do anything." Levi said. Kuchel stopped walking and knelt down beside Levi. 

"That was very brave of you to look after Eren. While I don’t approve of violence I'm glad you didn’t let anything happen to him." Kuchel said giving him a hug. 

"I know he's all about protecting you but a good Omega takes care of their Alpha too." She said as she stood  up and continued their walk. 

"I want you to stay away from those kids." She said. 

"They want to be friends now." Levi said casually. Kuchel looked at him as though he were crazy. 

"They liked that I could knock Reiner down. I told them to stop picking on Eren." Levi said. Kuchel shook her head. 

"Kids are weird." She laughed. "If they are anything but friendly to you I want you to stay clear of them." She warned, Levi nodded. 

Kuchel went back to the flower shop while Levi made himself comfortable in the nearby break room; as he did every day after school to do his homework and stay out of trouble. Sometimes he would sit on the floor behind the flower shop counter but the clerical staff and few nurses that used this particular break room loved him and would often buy him a snack from the vending machine. 

 

"Levi? What are you doing here?" Grisha asked in surprise as he walked into the room. Levi looked up from his homework to look at the Doctor. 

"I got sent home early, Mom is still working." He said, still a little shy around Eren's dad. 

"You come here everyday after school?" Grisha asked, Levi nodded.  

"Well that answer's Eren's constant questions." The man chuckled and sat down beside Levi. 

"You and Eren are really good friends huh?" Grisha asked and Levi nodded again, a little intimidated by the older man.  

"That's good. Eren has lots of friends but he seems to find you extra special." Grisha explained. 

"I'm not." Levi whispered. 

"Says who? If Eren thinks your special isn’t that all you need to be special?" Grisha asked. Levi gave him a small smile and nodded. 

"Well it was nice seeing you Levi, I just came in to grab a coffee; I have to get back to work." Grisha said reaching into his pocket for money for the coffee machine and giving Levi the change with a smile. Levi thanked him, using the change to buy himself a herbal tea. 

 

 

Kuchel and Levi made their way home after her shift; it was later than usual since she made up the extra time it took to go to Levi's school.  Eren was waiting in the window, watching for them. As soon as they turned up the driveway Eren bolted out the door; his mother calling out behind him. Eren ran up to Levi, throwing his arms around the older boy; Carla rushing out behind him. 

"Eren, I don’t care who you see in the driveway, you do not run outside without telling me first!" She reprimanded. 

"I got you in trouble" Eren said to Levi, completely ignoring his mother. 

"He's been upset all afternoon, wouldn’t tell me what was wrong." Carla said to Kuchel. 

"I'm not in trouble. Are you alright?" Levi asked and Eren nodded, still holding him tightly. 

"Apparently there was a scuffle today at lunch. Levi got sent to the principal." Kuchel explained. 

"Kuchel, Levi, come in for dinner, it's late. We have left overs." Carla said leading Kuchel in, followed by the two boys; Eren holding Levi's hand tightly. 

 

 

"Okay Eren, say goodbye to Levi, it's time for bed." Carla said from the doorway of his bedroom.  

"Can Levi spend the night?" Eren whined sleepily; it was past his regular bedtime. 

Carla looked at Kuchel who smiled softly at Levi. 

"Do you want to sleep over? It is Friday, you don’t have school tomorrow." She asked. 

"Will you be okay by yourself?" Levi asked and Kuchel laughed lightly. 

"I'll be fine, and I'll be right downstairs if you need me." She assured. Levi glanced at Eren who was cuddling into him then nodded.  

The two got ready for bed; Levi borrowing pyjamas and a toothbrush, then their mothers tucked them into Eren's bed before making their way back into the living room to continue their earlier conversations.   

Eren fell asleep almost instantly; his arms around Levi protectively. Levi had a harder time falling asleep. He had never spent the night without his mother before; he didn’t even sleep in his own room every night yet. He didn't realize he had been whimpering until Eren woke beside him. Eren looked at him through sleepy eyes before he leaned forward and rubbed his neck against Levi's. 

"W-what?" Levi asked confused. 

"My dad rubs his neck on my mom's all the time. It makes her smell like him and she's not sad after he does it." Eren said, holding Levi close. 

Levi breathed in deeply, his nose buried in Eren's shoulder. Eren didn't smell like anything, they were too young, they hadn't developed the scents they would have as presented dynamics yet, but Eren's actions had made him feel a little better. Eren still fell back asleep before Levi did but feeling much more content he found himself drifting off not too long afterwards. 

 

 

 

"So Levi, you were talking to Eren's Dad yesterday at the hospital?" Carla asked as the boys sat down to the table for breakfast in their pajamas and bedheads. Levi nodded before thanking her for the cereal she placed before him. 

"Well I was just talking to your Mom last night and how would you like to come home with Eren every day after school and wait here until your mom comes home?" Carla asked. 

"Really?" Levi asked, glancing at Eren who was smiling excitedly, his mouth full of his own cereal. Carla nodded happily. 

"I would like that very much." Levi said with a smile before scooping up a spoonful of cereal. Eren squealing for joy beside him. 

 

Levi started going home from school with Eren that Monday. Every day at the end of classes he would make his way down to the Kindergarten hallway where Eren would greet him with a smile and lead him out to his mother's car by the hand. 

It took some getting used to; as boring and uncomfortable it was to spend the afternoon on the floor of the flower shop, he wasn't used to being away from his mother so often. Being with Eren did help to ease him into it; they would spend every afternoon together. Carla would give them an after school snack, Levi would help Eren with his homework while also doing his own, then they would play or watch tv until Kuchel came home. Sometimes they would eat with Carla, Grisha, and Eren; most of the time they'd go downstairs and Kuchel would prepare dinner for just the two of them. 

 

 

Life was better than it had ever been for Levi. His mother seemed happy with her job; they didn’t have a lot of money but they had more than before, enough for proper food and necessities. Kuchel seemed better rested and had even gained a bit of weight on her frail frame making her look much healthier than before. She still had a pretty harsh cough but at least it didn’t rattle her entire body anymore. 

Levi was glad that Kuchel and Carla had become such good friends as well, he had never seen his mother laugh and smile with another adult so much before. He really liked Carla as well; he felt almost as comfortable with her as he did with his own mother. Levi was getting close to a lot of people; something that he'd never thought he would do. He had become surprisingly close with Armin; the two soft spoken boys had much more in common with each other than either had with Eren; they enjoyed reading, learning new things, and just doing things quietly.  

Though nothing would change how Levi felt for Eren; the loud excitable boy had captured his heart and no amount of common interests with someone else would make Eren any less than his favorite person. Aside from his mother, there was no one he would rather spend time with than Eren, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. Levi had been sure that Eren would have gotten sick of him by now--- his mother had often told him he worried too much for an 8 year old--- but Eren was just as attached to him after months as he had been the first week. 

Eren had been pretty upset that Levi couldn't spend lunch time with him anymore and took it pretty hard, though having him every day after school seemed to make up for it a little and before long he was back to his happy, energetic self. Levi started spending lunchtime with Ymir, Reiner, and Reiner's cousin Annie who was in a different class but Levi got along with well; she was small with a stoic, intimidating face like him so they hit it off rather quickly. It got him through his school day at least; having friends was nice, not having to be the last one picked to do group work with, or spending recess sitting alone at his desk, now he actually had a good time during the school day.

Having friends was nice. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> Feel free to chat with me on tumblr
> 
>  
> 
> [Soapy0-0](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/soapy0-0)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait until the weekend to post this chapter; trying to pace myself, but I am a big fan of comments and the best way to get some is to post a new chapter. 
> 
> Heads up; this chapter has Levi's first heat. There's mild sexual content/references but they're children at this point so there's no "Doing the Do" to be done
> 
> Let me know if there are any errors. I usually look it over as I'm posting but my lunch break is almost over.

* * *

 

 

The next school year Levi properly introduced Eren to his friends when they shared the same play area during lunch and Eren introduced the rest of his. They became a fairly close knit group; Ymir and Reiner didn't even seem to mind that they were younger, Ymir actually took quite a liking to Krista. 

Levi really liked Krista, she was a lot like Armin; quiet and sweet. When they were in large groups Krista, Armin, Annie and Levi would tend to huddle off to the side. 

Much like they were now as the rest of the group were playing Mario Kart. It was Christmas break and Eren's parents decided to throw a small Christmas party/Levi's birthday celebration. It wasn't much of a child's party but Levi was having a great time with his friends; they had a good dinner and there was a birthday cake for Levi. 

"Aww aren’t you all adorable." Carla laughed, coming around with a plate of Christmas cookies. The four of them were cuddling together under a blanket while they watched the others play Nintendo. 

"You know what they say, Omegas like to stick together." Krista's dad said from nearby. 

"Rod, they're children! There's no way to know what their dynamic will be yet." Carla scoffed at him. 

"I'm just saying. They have the qualities, they're cuddling together. You can kind of tell." He said and Carla was going to refute but was cut off. 

"Levi's going to be an Omega. He's my mate!" Eren piped up from in front of the tv, concentrating hard on his player. 

"Eren, Levi might not be an Omega, you'll have to accept him for whatever he turns out to be." Carla said catching Eren's attention. He loosened his grip on his controller and glanced from his mother to Levi. 

"Can I still be his mate if he's not an Omega?" He asked, fear and desperation  hinted in his voice. Carla's face softened. 

"Of course you can. Dynamic and gender don't matter as long as both people want to be mated." She said, Eren's eyes were on Levi as he got up from his spot and hurried over to Levi; squeezing in between him and Armin and wrapping his arm around a blushing Levi's waist. 

"Hey, you’re not the only one with claim to an Omega over there." Ymir said sitting on the other side of Levi and cuddling into Krista. 

"Alright kids, it's time for Levi to open his presents." Carla laughed and the res tof them huddled into the circle as Kuchel brought over the gifts Levi's friends had brought over for him. 

 

Eren was so excited for Levi to open his presents; if he was any closer to the older boy, Levi would have been sitting on his lap. Though Levi didn’t mind at all, he liked the heat that radiated from Eren's skin and the happy excitement he gave off. Levi got some great presents; couple toys, books, clothes. Levi thanked everyone over and over before they all filtered through the door at the end of the evening. 

 

"Can't Levi stay over?" Eren asked as Kuchel and Levi packed up to go. 

"Eren, tomorrow is Christmas and Levi's birthday, I'm sure he would like to spend the night with his mother, and so should you!" Carla gave him a playful glare.  

"Fiiine. You're coming over for dinner tomorrow right?" Eren asked. Levi nodded, he was excited; it was going to be their first family Christmas dinner, even if it wasn't with his own family.  

 

"Happy almost Birthday Levi." Eren said leaning over and kissing Levi's cheek. Levi's eyes widened and face flushed. 

"T-thanks." Levi stammered, looking into Eren's smiling face and shining eyes before he and his mother went back down to their apartment. 

  

 

 

 

\------------------------ 

 

 

 

"But I don't want to move!!" 10 year old Eren shouted at his parents. 

Levi's heart stopped as he heard Eren's voice through the open window. Move? Eren couldn’t move. Eren had to live upstairs. Always! He would hear that Eren's parents were talking to him though he couldn’t hear what they were saying, he heard Eren shout some more before the front door banged. Levi rushed to his own front door before he heard the knock; opening to instantly find himself in the other boys arms. 

"They want to move! We can't, I have to stay with you." Eren sobbed into Levi's shoulder, holding the older boy tightly. Levi didn’t know what to say; just petting Eren's hair silently. 

"Eren, what's wrong?" Kuchel walked out of the bathroom with a concerned look on her face. 

"Eren, you can't run off like that! Not even to come here." Carla said, running into the doorway a little out of breath. 

"I don’t want to move! I want to stay here with Levi!" Eren shouted angrily. 

"Eren, we’re not going very far. Come on how about we all go upstairs and talk." Carla said looking at Kuchel who gave her an apologetic smile. Levi had a feeling she had known about this already. 

 

 

Eren's father had become a renowned doctor; very prestigious in the community and he had felt like it was time to move out of their small, modest bungalow and into one of the more upscale areas of the city. It was closer to the hospital, it housed some of the important people Grisha had dealings with on a regular basis, and it was more suited to the lifestyle that he wanted for his family. 

 

 

"So now Levi goes to a different school than me _AND_ he's going to live in a different house as me?" Eren yelled. 

"Can't they come with us?" He added, squeezing Levi's hand, refusing to let go since they came up here. 

"Kuchel and Levi want to stay here." Grisha said simply 

"The people buying the house are going to give them the same arrangement that we've been doing and it's best for them to stay. Levi can still come over afterschool every day if he wants to. Our new house will be closer to the hospital so he can walk home with his mother when she gets off work. Though Levi is a big boy now, if he wasn't to go home by himself afterschool he can." Carla explained. 

It was true, Levi had been in Junior High since the start of the school year, he had turned 12 not long ago, he was old enough to be by himself in the afternoons until his mother came home from work. Though the thought had never occurred to him; he enjoyed his afternoons with Eren, walking home with him since they got older, doing their homework together, and just spending time together. 

"I can come over if it's still okay." Levi said. 

"Of course it is! You're always welcome in our home Levi." Carla said. 

Eren wrapped his arms around Levi once again, his big green eyes filled with tears.  

"It's not going to be that bad. You'll still see each other all the time." Carla tried to convince her son with a smile. Eren only mumbled something before leading Levi to his room. The normally loud and full of life boy was quiet now; almost lethargic. He pulled Levi down on the bed and cuddled him, Eren's head on Levi's chest, the dampness from Eren's eyes seeping into his shirt. Levi ran his fingers through Eren's hair soothingly.  

Levi tried to listen to the hushed conversation happening out in the kitchen, though it was hard to hear. He soon found himself drifting off to sleep; Eren going a few minutes before. Cuddling with Eren like this was always relaxing and comfortable; being the same size it had always been easy to get into whichever position they needed, though it seemed as they had been pretty on par in size all along, Eren was finally starting to surpass Levi in size, much to his dismay. It was a bit of a hit to his ego for a boy almost 3 years younger than him to be bigger but at the same time he couldn’t bring himself to care as he finally fell asleep. 

 

When Levi and Eren woke up, Kuchel was gone. Carla said she had gone out and that Levi was staying for supper. 

"Who's that with your mom?" Eren asked as they saw Kuchel walking up the walkway to the house with a strange man. He was average height, slim build and dark hair. Levi didn’t know who he was but he did recognize him. He had seen this man a few times throughout his life and every time he left his mother's cough would get worse. It didn't make sense how a cough was related to this man but when Kuchel would have regular fits so bad she couldn't breath after this man disappeared all over again it didn’t matter if it made sense; Levi didn't want her near him. 

"A bad man." Levi said darkly before making his way to the door, Eren on his tail. He opened the door, interrupting any intimate conversation they might be having. 

"Levi! What’s wrong?" Kuchel asked in surprise. 

"it’s time to go home." Levi said simply, glaring at the man. 

"Levi, you remember Lyell" Kuchel said. Levi didn't respond, just glared. 

"Those are some scary looking kids." The man named Lyell laughed. 

"That's Eren, he's convinced that he's Levi's Alpha." Kuchel giggled. 

"I am." Eren all but growled at the man. Lyell just laughed. 

"Alright Kuchel. I'll see you next week?" He said. She nodded with a smile and waved as he walked back towards his car. 

 

 

"I don’t like that guy." Levi said after saying goodbye to Eren and heading down to their apartment. 

"Levi, you barely know him!" Kuchel said. 

"Every time he leaves you get sick!" Levi demanded. 

"that's nonsense!" She laughed. 

"No it’s not." Levi pouted. 

"Aren't you cute. And your boyfriend is adorable. He was seething behind you." Kuchel laughed again. 

"He's not my boyfriend." Levi mumbled. 

"Not yet he's not. But you two will end up together. You've been smitten with each other since you met." Kuchel said. 

"You're changing the subject." Levi said. 

"I am, and I'm changing it again. Go get ready for bed, it's late." Kuchel kissed the top of his head. 

"I don’t like him." Levi grumbled. 

"I'm an adult. I'll be fine." She reassured. Levi sighed but hugged her and went to get ready for bed. 

 

 

 

Eren ended up moving away. It wasn't far away but he wasn't upstairs anymore. Levi did go over to his new house every day after school, and they spent nearly the entire summer together. It was like they still lived in the same place, except when it was time to sleep and Levi had to go across town instead of just downstairs. 

 

As time went on and Levi reached the higher grades he had too much homework to bring with him to Eren's house; he actually needed to go home and concentrate on it. Also after a year or so of Lyell being around nearly constantly he disappeared again. Like he always did. 

Levi wasn't sad to see him go; the guy was a jerk. He didn't treat Kuchel very well and he constantly berated Levi for being an Omega, despite not having presented yet. Apparently it was bad enough being a female Omega; a male Omega was just embarrassing. 

Levi had a feeling that this man was his father, though his mother had never told him and he didn't care enough to find out. The only thing wrong with him leaving again was that Kuchel had gotten sick again, just as he had predicted. 

Her cough was worse than ever. He would hear her hacking in the bathroom in the mornings before she went to work, she would lose her breath in mid conversation and was constantly trying to clear her throat. 

 

 

"Mom?" Levi called out from the bathroom. He had picked up some blue flower petals off the floor, looking at them curiously. 

"Yes?" Kuchel asked coming into the doorway. She was looking thin and drawn, more so than just what the coughing was doing to her. Levi suspected that the Landlords were not keeping  their promise to Carla to keep the rental arrangement the same as it had been before. Even with the extra money Eren's parents had given to the new owner's (Levi had been known to eavesdrop on occasion) they hadn't honored the agreement and Kuchel's salary wasn't quite enough to cover all of their expenses. She had been working a lot of overtime and Levi wasn't entirely convinced it was all at the flower shop. 

Another reason why he couldn't spend as much time with Eren anymore; he had to take care of his mother. She refused to admit there was anything wrong, but he knew better. He insisted on cleaning the house, taking care of meals, anything he could do to help her out. 

Which brought him to this Saturday morning as he was about to clean the bathroom after Kuchel was quickly getting ready for an  to extra shift. 

"What are these?" Levi asked holding out the petals. Kuchel paled slightly but put on a curious expression. 

"Looks like Blue Hydrangeas." She shrugged. 

"Where did they come from?" Levi asked. 

"Levi, I work in a flower shop. They probably came in on my clothes." She said. 

Levi stared at her for a moment before giving up. He didn’t believe her but he also didn’t know what she could be hiding and she was as stubborn as he was. 

"Fine. Do you want me to walk you to work?" Levi asked. 

"Sure, you can visit Eren. You haven't seen him in a while." She smiled and Levi nodded, moving to get ready. 

 

 

 

"Levi! We haven't seen you in a while. Come in!" Carla smiled seeing the two at the door. 

"Kuchel are you coming in, I haven’t seen you in forever!" Carla asked as she led them in. 

"No sorry,  I have to work. Levi wanted to see Eren, is that okay?" She asked. 

"Of course! Levi is always welcome. And you need to come over more. And  eat  more, you're starting to look like you did when we first met." Carla hugged her. Kuchel nodded with a smile returning the hug. 

"We'll get together soon." She promised. Then turned to give Levi a hug and said goodbye. 

"How's your Mom Levi? Really?" Carla asked with concern in her voice. 

"She doesn’t tell me anything. But she's not doing very well." Levi said, Carla gave  a soft smile. 

"Eren's still asleep, would you like to have some tea?" She asked. Levi nodded and  they went into the kitchen. 

Carla prepared the tea and the two sat down and began talking. Levi told her how his mother was; about her cough, her extra working  hours, her weight loss, how she was every other time _Lyell_ came into their lives. He was very worried about her and had been holding it in for a while, but with Carla it just all spilled out. She had become like a second mother to him the last few years;  who better to tell his worries of his own mother than the other woman  that had practically raised him. 

"She won't listen to me. She keeps saying she's okay but she's not." Levi said, his voice breaking slightly. 

"It's going to be alright Levi. I'll speak to her, try to get her some help, don’t worry. You’re 14  years old, you shouldn’t have to  deal with this. I think the stress is getting to you, you're not looking so great yourself." Carla said feeling his forehead. He had been feeling a little warm and under the weather but it was nothing compared to his mother, he needed to help her as much as possible. 

"I'm fine." Levi said with a small grateful smile. 

"Mom, what's that smell?" Eren asked, walking into the kitchen rubbing his sleepy eyes. Carla looked at him with a curious look but as soon as his giant ocean eyes opened they widened and he lunged towards the older boy; wrapping his arms around him. It had only been a couple weeks since Levi had been over but Eren had always been overdramatic and emotional, especially when it came to Levi. Levi didn’t mind, he liked how clingy Eren was with him. 

"Hey." Levi chuckled. 

"You're here." Eren mumbled into Levi's shoulder. 

"Yeah, sorry I've been so busy." Levi said. 

"Eren, eat some breakfast then you and Levi can go spend some time together. He's not feeling the best, so maybe you two can do something quietly." Carla said getting up to get him some food.  Eren nodded and sat in the chair beside Levi, smiling brightly at him. 

The two ended up watching movies and playing videogames most of the day; Levi was feel pretty off so it was nice to relax with Eren. Eren seemed extra cuddly; inching closer to him as they played, holding him tighter as they watched a movie. It was like he was desperate to be a close as possible to Levi, probably because the older boy had been away so long. Levi didn't mind, he missed Eren and if the truth were to be told; he felt like he needed the physical contact, it helped him relax while he had been feeling on edge. 

 

\---------------------- 

 

 

 

"Mom!!" Levi yelled. His mother rushed out of her bedroom, a tissue over her mouth and her eyes wide with worry. 

"What wrong? Levi are you okay?" She asked, her voice hoarse from the coughing fit she had been having a moment ago. Levi felt up the flower petals he found. He had been finding them all over the house for weeks. His mother insisted they were from the flower shop and nothing to worry about. 

"Why are they bloody?" Levi demanded. Kuchel paled. 

"I-I.." She stammered. Levi's eyes filled with tears. 

"You're really sick aren't you?" He whispered. 

"I'm going to be fine. Carla and Grisha have been helping me. I'm going to get better." Kuchel said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. 

"Do you promise?" Levi asked, his voice quivering like he was still a child. 

"Of course. I'll be fine and you have to stop worrying. You haven't been looking well and you're feeling a little warm. Maybe you should stay home from school today?" Kuchel said.  

"Only if you stay home from work." Levi said. 

"Levi, you know I can't." Kuchel sighed, Levi nodded. 

"I'll be okay." He said, hugging her tight. 

 

 

 

 

Kuchel did seem to be getting better; Levi still found the blue flower petals throughout the house, no matter how hard Kuchel tried to clean them up, but at least they weren't bloody anymore. 

Levi had been researching what could be wrong with her and he had come across a couple things. Apparently she had an extremely rare disease and from what he could tell it was all that man's fault. His mother hadn’t given him much details but she assured him Grisha was doing everything he could for her. 

 

"Dude, you don't look so good." Annie said, sitting down next to Levi in the cafeteria, followed by Reiner and Ymir. Levi had barely noticed them, he had too much on his mind.  

"You smell kind of strange too." Reiner said taking a large mouthful of his cafeteria fries. Levi shot him a glare. 

"Just because you're a damn alpha now does not mean you can go around fucking smelling people without their permission." Levi growled irritably. Honestly he wasn't feeling well at all; he had been feeling off for weeks now, months even; though it had been getting progressively worse the last few days. His head was to feeling foggy, his skin was uncomfortably warm and itchy. His stomach was queasy and his muscles were achy. He had to be coming down with something. 

"He's right though, you do smell kind of off.  You don't usually smell like anything." Ymir said. Also an Alpha, she had presented a couple months ago and was able to pick up on scents easily. Annie dropped her spoon on the table, her eyes wide; a drastic change from her usual stoic expression. 

"Oh Fuck, you're presenting." She said. 

"What? No I'm not!" Levi scoffed. 

"No, dude. You definitely are. Shit, I should have realized sooner." Annie said standing up from the table. 

"Come on, we're going to the nurse." She pulled on his arm. Levi shrugged her off. 

"I'm fine. Leave me alone." Levi grumbled, laying his head in his arms on the table. 

"No Levi, I think she's right. You should go to the nurse." Reiner said, his expression soft and concerned. 

"Yeah your scent is getting really strong and others are noticing." Ymir said looking around the room. Levi glanced around and there were people staring at him; reacting to his scent. He nodded, taking Annie's hand and getting up. Reiner and Ymir following quickly and leading Levi to the nurse's office. Levi heard them threaten at anyone who got too close; especially Alphas in older grades. 

"Get lost buddy, he's taken." Reiner growled as they turned the corner and finally made it to their destination. Ymir and Reiner waited outside the door as Annie led Levi in. The nurse huffed when she saw him, Levi was almost sure he heard her say 'I hate my job' under her breath before leading him to the cot. 

 

"I'm  an Omega aren't I?" Levi groaned as he lay down on the lumpy bed. 

"'Fraid so." Annie said, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him and smoothed his hair back off his forehead. She had presented as an Omega a few month earlier; she had finally come to accept it but she still wasn't overly happy about it. 

"Fuck." Levi said, throwing his arm over his eyes. 

"What's the problem? Don’t you have a bright eyed Alpha waiting for you?" Annie smirked. 

"He's 12. He's not an Alpha. Besides, he doesn’t say that anymore." Levi said, as his stomach started to twist painfully. Annie just gave him a sly look and kept smoothing down his damp hair.  

She was surprisingly gentle despite her cold exterior and harsh attitude; she and Levi were alike in that sense. Until they were comfortable with someone they appeared to be disinterested and annoyed, which caused most people to avoid them. That was until Eren came into Levi's life; Eren who had welcomed him instantly and now he had more friends that he could have imagined, even though the only one that really mattered was him. 

 

"Alright." Nurse Marie said coming back with a bag. 

'I have everything you need to get you home, you mother will have to supply you with the rest. According to your file she is an Omega as well so she shouldn’t have any issue. I have a scent blocker, a slick pad, and a shot that will suppress your heat for 30 minutes; long enough to get you home. I also have a dose of birth control but where you are 14 and hopefully won't need it I can only give it to your mother when she picks you up." She explained. 

"No! C-can’t I just take the shot and hurry home myself? My mom is working and she's sick. I don’t want to make her come get me." Levi pleaded before curling in on himself as his stomach twisted painfully. 

"No I'm sorry I am not allowed to release a presenting student without a parent or guardian. Especially a presenting Omega. I have to call your mother." Nurse Marie said matter of fact.  

"No, Please." Levi begged, breathing heavy through the cramps, trying not to sob. 

 

"Can I speak to you please?" Annie said and pulling Nurse Marie away from the main area and into her office. Levi's head started to spin; he was feeling so dizzy and his stomach was knotting. He felt his eyes slipping closed; as he began to lose consciousness the pain seemed to ebb away slightly, he welcomed it as he slowly fell asleep. 

 

"Levi, it's time to wake up." Levi heard a gentle voice and felt a soft nudge on his shoulder. He opened his eyes slowly to see Carla's softly smiling face 

"Carla? What are you doing here?" Levi asked sitting up and rubbing his eyes. His cramps were gone and his head was clear. 

"Annie convinced Nurse Maria to call me instead of your mom. That needle should be kicked in now we should get going." Carla said, helping him up. She helped him with the scent blocker and the slick pad then led him out of the room. 

Annie was waiting outside the door holding Levi's school bag. Levi took it from her with a thank you. 

"It's horrible. It's a week of hell. But you'll get through it and you'll be fine." She said. 

"Thanks." He said. 

"You know we all assumed you were going to be an Omega too, but it's kind of nice to know that you are. So I'm not the only one." She said a little awkwardly. 

"Yeah, it is." Levi said with a small smile before saying goodbye and Carla leading him out to her car. 

 

"Thank you for getting me. You didn't have to but I really didn’t want to bother Mom at work." Levi said. 

"Of course Levi. You know we'd do anything for you. I'm sure your mother would like to know what's going on." Carla said. 

"You know how she worries. She's sick, I don’t want to make things worse." Levi said. Carla gave him an understanding smile. 

 

"Alright, why don't you go shower before your medication wears off, I'll get your bed ready." Carla said as they walked into the apartment. Levi nodded and headed toward the bathroom. He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower; the hot water felt good on his sweat dried skin. He stood under the spray for longer than he meant to; unable to tear himself away as the burn slowly came back to his skin and he felt something wet and slipper on his thighs that didn’t wash away with plain water. He set the water to cold and began scrubbing himself with soap and his washcloth; extra focus between his legs. 

"Levi. Are you okay? You've been in here a long time." Carla asked as she came in. Levi hadn't realized he was whining until the shower curtain opened and Carla took his hands gently. 

"You need to stop. You skin is very sensitive right now, you're just going to hurt yourself. What’s happening is completely natural, I bought you some protective sheets so it won't ruin your bed. Now please just rinse off and come on to bed." Carla said, Levi nodded, feeling tears slip from his eyes. He rinsed off and climbed out of the shower as Carla wrapped him in a towel and leading him to his bedroom. 

Levi climbed in, he didn’t bother to out on clothes; his skin was too itchy and these sheets felt very soft on his skin. Carla sat on the edge of the bed and tucked him in before smoothing back his hair and kissing his forehead. 

"I'm going to go make some soup. I want you to get as much sleep as you can before it gets worse." She said. 

"W-what's it going to be like?" Levi whispered nervously. 

"I'm a Beta so I've never experienced a heat myself but I know they're very uncomfortable to go through alone. You're going to have bad cramps and a terrible fever. You're also going to be painfully aroused and leaking slick; it's your bodies way of telling you it's time to mate. Unfortunately for you, you're only 14 and much too young to mate so you're going to have to endure it." Carla explained. Levi felt his cheeks flush from embarrassment and fever. Carla only chuckled softly. 

"I know it's not something you want to talk about, especially to someone who isn't your Mom." She said. 

"It's okay. You're the next best thing." Levi said shyly and she smiled. 

"I have one more thing. There's no knot or anything but it's recommended for a first heat. Use it if things get too bad to handle, it will help." She said giving him a box with a small vibrator inside. Levi groaned in embarrassment and Carla laughed again. 

"Go to sleep. I'll be in the other room." She said before getting up.  

Levi curled into himself; reaching onto the table beside his bed for his old stuffed horse. He cuddled it to his chest tightly as he tried to breathe through the cramping; willing himself to fall asleep.  

 

It must have worked because Levi woke up what seemed like hours later; the sun had gone down, leaving his room dark and he found his mother sitting beside him on the bed, rubbing his back.  

"Hey baby, How are you doing?" Kuchel asked, as Levi turned towards her, Her hands moving to smooth his hair from his face. 

"It hurts." Levi whimpered quietly. 

"I know it does baby. It gets better, the first one is always the worst. But then after this one is over you can start taking suppressants and it will lessen the effects of your heat, it won’t be nearly as painful. Then when you grow up you'll have an Alpha to take care of you." Kuchel explained. 

"You don’t have an Alpha, what makes you think I'll have one?" Levi asked and Kuchel laughed lightly. 

"Because you are lucky and your Alpha has been sitting outside your door for the last 4 hours. Carla said he got home and she told him what happened and he ran all the way here on his own because he had to be with you. He doesn't really understand what's happening yet but his instincts are telling him to protect you. He even growled at me when I tried to come in." She explained fondly. Levi felt himself blushing and glancing at the door; Eren was on the other side guarding him and it made his stomach flutter in a way that wasn't from the heat. 

"He's adorable really. He's going to make a great Alpha one day." Kuchel said and Levi nodded before another wave of cramps hit him and he curled up again. Kuchel rubbed his back soothingly and began to sing softly; her technique had always been able to relax him and it did offer a little relief for the moment. 

He couldn't fall asleep again, the twisting in his abdomen was too strong; the aching in his most private areas was unfamiliar and unbearable. He felt himself whimpering involuntarily. Kuchel held him tight, trying to sooth him. 

"I know what you're going through, I know how awful it is. Why don't I give you come privacy to relieve yourself?" She asked, Levi whined in embarrassment. 

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. That's what heat is, and while you may have an Alpha outside, you are both much too young for him to help you in that sense; especially since he hasn't even presented yet. Carla gave you that toy; there is nothing wrong with using it, that one in particular is made for a Male Omega's first heat. It will help, I promise. It will give you a couple hours of relief." Kuchel said before she covered her mouth with a cough. 

Levi could tell she tried to suppress it but it got the best of her and turned into a full on fit. Levi sat up and rubbed her back while resting his cheek on her shoulder while she continued to cough. He gasped as he watched the blue flower petals fall from behind her hand as it covered her mouth. 

"Ca--" He began to yell but Kuchel waved him off, finally catching her breath. 

"It's nothing. I'm fine, see they're not even bloody anymore. I'm getting better and you can't worry about me right now, your body is going through enough stress." She said 

"How can I not, you have Hanahaki Disease." Levi's voice cracked as large tears started falling from his eyes. "I looked it up, I know what it is. There's surgery! You can get better!" He sobbed. 

"I've already had the surgery, it didn't work." Kuchel explained quietly and Levi's eyes widened, more tears leaking from them rapidly. "I'm on medication, I'm doing everything Grisha is telling me to do. I might never be 100% healthy but I am fine and you don't need to worry. Please! You can't worry about me right now. Too much stress during heat can make you very sick." She pleaded, wiping away Levi's tears. Levi wrapped his arms around her; they lay down on the bed, Levi cuddled into her chest like he had done as a child for a few moments. 

"Mom?" He asked quietly 

"Mmm?" She asked, stroking his hair. 

"I need some privacy." He said. She nodded and loosened her grip around him. 

"You'll go lay down right. Get some rest while I'm..." Levi's voice desperate. She gave him a soft smile and nodded. 

"I'll be back in a couple hours to check on you." Kuchel said, kissing his sweaty forehead. Levi nodded and watched her leave. 

 

 

They toy did as his mother said it would. He pleasured himself for the first time; it felt good but also weird and embarrassing. He was able to reach climax even though his body felt almost disappointed; like it was expecting more, but it did allow him enough relief to drift off to sleep for a while. 

He woke to the sound of a knock on his door and the slow creak of it opening. He opened his eyes to find Eren with his head poking through the small opening nervously. Levi pulled at his blankets to ensure he was covered before sitting up and looking at the younger boy. 

"Hey." He said. 

"H-hi. I brought you some soup and some cold water. Is it okay if I come in?" He asked timidly. 

"Yeah, come in. I'm not going to hurt you." Levi said with a small smirk. Eren's face broke into a grin. 

"I know you won't hurt me! I just didn't want to invade on your space. I read in a book that Omegas in heat don't handle people coming too close very well." Eren explained. "They get scared and upset." He added. 

"I'm not afraid of you Eren." Levi said quietly, making Eren's smile turn bashful. 

"G-good." He said as he moved the tray closer to Levi. Carla's soup smelled really good, Levi hadn't noticed how hungry he was until it was in front of him. He ate it almost two quickly as Eren shifted uncomfortably beside him. Levi eyed him curiously, before noticing Eren's hands fidgeting in his lap. Levi's eyes widened and his face flushed as he realized Eren's evident arousal. 

"I.. You.. Maybe you should go.." He stammered. Eren's face flushed darker than Levi had ever seen him as his eyes traveled to Levi's face and down to where Levi's attention had been grabbed. 

"N-no..I'm sorry! I'm not trying to! I just wanted to take care of you and I can’t even do that right!" Eren's eyes filled with tears and he dashed out of the room. Levi watched after him, speechless. He didn't want Eren to be upset but he also didn't know what to say; this was all so new and weird to him. 

 

 

Eren didn't come back in for the rest of Levi's heat. Kuchel did tell him that Eren was still camped outside Levi's door. He had made a little bed for himself and spent nearly every minute he wasn't in school guarding Levi's door. She also mentioned he had seemed very upset which made Levi embarrassingly explain to her what happened, she had just laughed at that.   

It had been a hell of a week, Levi wasn't sure he'd be able to do this on a regular basis for the rest of his life; it was a lot to handle. His mother talking him through a lot of it definitely helped, but he wouldn’t be able to have her spend every heat with him, especially since she wasn't well. He was an adult now, he'd have to endure it himself. 

His heat had finally broken this morning; he felt like a regular coherent person again. His skin was still hot but was cooling down and the cramps had subsided. He was able to take a shower, eat a proper meal that wasn't soup and make his way outside into the back yard. 

He was now sitting on the patio step watching the sunset and trying to clear the haziness from his head as the cold wind blew around him. He shivered but after a week of his skin burning relentlessly, he welcomed it willingly. 

He soon heard the door to the apartment swing open and Eren's heavy footsteps climbing the stairs. He walked over and sat down on the step beside Levi, Fidgeting nervously with his hands. 

"So you're an Omega now." Eren said in an awkward attempt to lighten the mood. Levi held him arms around himself tightly, he had never had trouble being around Eren before, but things felt kind of weird now. He was an Omega now, there was no speculation about it, would Eren treat him the same as he always had? 

"I am." He said simply, avoiding the younger boy's eyes. 

"You smell really nice." Eren said. 

"You're only 12, you're not supposed to be able to smell me yet." Levi said with a raised eyebrow and a slight blush. While his statement was supposed to be true, Eren's body had definitely reacted to Levi's scent during his heat. 

"But I can. I guess I can't really smell it the same as an actual Alpha but I could smell it. It smelled really good, kind of too good before. I don’t think I handled it very well, but it's not as strong now and you smell really nice." Eren explained. 

"Don’t worry about what happened. I wasn't upset, I just didn't know what to do." Levi avoided Eren's eyes again. 

"Mom said it was normal. When I'm a grown up Alpha and you're in heat that's how I'll take care of you." Eren said, both boys blushing at the thought. 

"You're still convinced you're  going to be an Alpha huh?" Levi asked trying to steer the conversation away from such embarrassing topics. He had just spent a week being painfully aroused which at 14 he didn’t feel he was mentally ready for in the first place, he definitely wasn't ready to talk about being an adult and actually engaging in sexual activities; especially with the 12 year old boy sitting beside him. 

"I have to be. You're an Omega now. Don’t you still want me to be your Alpha?" Eren asked, worry lacing his voice. Levi looked into Eren's beautiful, green eyes. 

"It wouldn’t matter to me if you weren't an Alpha, I'd still want to be with you." He said quietly. Eren's face broke into one of his radiant smiles and he scooted closer to Levi. 

"Really?" He asked and Levi nodded, Eren put his arm around him and pulling him closer. 

"I really like you Levi." He said looking into Levi's eyes. 

"I like you too." Levi whispered shyly, looking back into Eren's. Eren's smiled wavered slightly as his face turned serious and nervous yet determined all at once. He leaned in slowly and pressed his lips softly against Levi's. 

Levi stiffened for a moment before relaxing into the kiss. It was simple; just Eren's lips pressed against his own. It was the first kiss for both of them and it was perfect. They parted after a moment; both boys blushing with small smiles on their faces as Eren linked their fingers together. 

"Good." Eren said simply and gazed up at the stars. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Please tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys..Guys! There are 38 of you that have subscribed to me! Not even the individual stories but to me. As in you requested to get notifications whenever I post anything! That's nuts! I love you but you're crazy!
> 
> I was going to post this tomorrow. You know how I attempt to put a schedule on things and just never listen to it? But I figured I may get a chance to write tomorrow so I'll keep my time for that  
> I just hope spoiling you with quick chapters don;t ruin you for when I may not have the time to fire them out as quickly (I have a life sometimes lol)
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy
> 
> P.S. I apologize in advance that the fluffiness couldn't last forever...

  

* * *

 

 

After Levi's heat, he and Kuchel went to see Dr. Jaegar. It was weird to talk about to talk about his heat and other bodily changes with Grisha, but he was an actual doctor and apparently it was important. He gave him a physical, told him more information than he could retain, and wrote a prescription for mild suppressants; recommended for newly presented Omegas. He would still have regular heat but they wouldn’t be as painful and mind numbing. Honestly he would take what he could get. 

After his appointment Levi left the room so Kuchel could talk to Grisha a little longer; though she didn’t look very happy when she came out. 

"Are you okay?" Levi asked and her face softened into a smile. 

"Of course. Now come on, let's go out for supper to celebrate you becoming a man!" She said, putting her arm around him. 

"I'm not a man, I'm an Omega." Levi mumbled. 

"Presenting means you're not a child anymore. When a boy is no longer a child he's a man. Regardless of Dynamic." Kuchel insisted. "Now where do you want to eat? I'm starving!" She added. 

"Can we afford to go out?" Levi asked hesitantly. Kuchel shot him a small glare. 

"Of course! Don't you worry about such things." She said, leading him out of the hospital and down the street to a decently priced but nice restaurant. 

 

 

Levi felt embarrassed about his scent. It was still pretty strong after only finishing his heat not long ago; he felt as though he was on display and everyone was noticing him. He hid behind his menu with a deep blush when the waitress commented, but she and Kuchel began gushing about his newly presented Omega and how cute he is. 

"I bet you won't have any trouble getting yourself an Alpha." The Waitress [Freida] grinned. 

"Oh he has one already." Kuchel laughed and Freida's eyebrows shot up. 

"Really?" She laughed, making Levi hid even farther behind the menu. 

"He a little younger, hasn’t presented yet, but you should have seen him guarding Levi's door the entire week. When he wasn't in school we was stationed right outside; growled at me the first time I tried to go in. He's been saying Levi is his mate since he was 6 years old." Kuchel explained with a grin. 

"Oh my god. That's adorable." Freida said with an almost jaw dropped expression. 

"I'll have the club sandwich please." Levi tried to change the subject. The two women laughed and Kuchel gave her order as well. 

"Eren is really smitten with you." Kuchel said when they were alone again. Levi just gave a small nod, trying to hide his smile. 

"You know you're not obligated to like him back, though I think you do." She said with a smirk as Levi's face heated up again. 

"I might." He mumbled. 

"He’ll be a very good mate, Alpha or not. He's already so caring and protective, you both are lucky to have each other." She said, a glint of sadness in her eyes. 

"What happened to your Mate?" Levi asked quietly.  

It was something Kuchel had never told him about, He knew about Lyell only because he had seen him around before. He knew they were romantic but Kuchel didn’t discuss it with him.  

"I never really had one." Kuchel said quietly. 

"But you have that disease, isn't it caused by unrequited love?" Levi asked in a hushed whisper. 

"Unrequited yes. I had an Alpha once but he was never my mate. I was foolish. I am foolish. I repeat the same mistakes over and over. But you don't need to know this, it's not going to happen to you. You and Eren are going to fall in love and live happily ever after." Kuchel said determinedly. 

"What if he stops loving me?" Levi asked shyly. 

"Then you stop loving him. If he decides he doesn't want you anymore then move on, he's not worth it. If you two drift apart and mutually stop loving each other then you both need to move on. You need to do what's best for you and be happy." Kuchel explained.  

It hurt to think that Eren could decide to not want him anymore but he didn't want to end up like his mother; sick for the rest of her life because she loved someone more than they love her. Levi nodded. 

"I will." He said and she smiled at him as their meals came out. 

 

 

Levi didn't have another heat for 3 months; His mother told him it was a normal healthy cycle, Annie had said hers was the same. He could handle that, especially with the suppressants. They not only made heats easier but they helped to lessen the Omegan scent during the rest of the time, which made going to school much easier. 

Life was pretty normal; he did get hit on by Alphas occasionally but Reiner and Ymir were usually there to back them off; even when they weren't Levi would growl at them to scare them away. It didn’t work as well as he would have liked but at least no one touched him. They probably knew that Reiner would knock out their teeth if they did. 

He had to stay home from school during his heat; even though his mind wasn't as hazy and cramps weren't overpowering like they were before; he still felt them, his scent was still strong and he still [to his embarrassment] produced quite a lot of slick. 

He spent the days in his bed, propped up on pillows, with a heating pad on his abdomen and their small tv set up in his bedroom. That was until Eren came over with his homework. 

"You went all the way over to my school just to get my homework for me?" Levi asked in surprise as Eren sat down on the edge of the bed with a big smile. 

"I'm your Alpha, this is part of taking care of you!." He said happily. Levi smiled softly. 

"Thanks Eren." He said trying not to blush, though it was hard when his body temperature was already so high, added with the heating pad, the blush was unfortunately inevitable. Eren beamed and moved in closer, leaning against Levi's pillows as he put his arm around the older boy. 

"Eren, I'm sweaty and gross." Levi said bashfully, trying to move away. 

"I think you're beautiful and you smell really nice." Eren said, nosing at the scent gland on Levi's neck. 

"I wish I was a real Alpha, then I could take care of you properly." He added. Levi stiffened and pushed Eren's face away gently yet firmly. 

"Eren you're probably not going to present until you're 14, I'll only be 16. I don't think we should mate until we're at least both out of high school." Levi said and Eren deflated. 

"Really? But that's so long from now." He whined, Levi raised a brow. 

"You're not helping your case." He said. 

"I just want to help you." Eren said quietly. 

"Yeah well, I don’t want to get pregnant while I'm still in high school." Levi said and watched Eren's go from thoughtful to giddy as a big smile stretched across his face. 

"No!" Levi growled before he could say anything. 

"I know I know. After high school. But maybe.. When we're grownups..." He asked. 

"Maybe. We'll talk about it then." Levi said gruffly. Eren just smiled happily and leaned back on to the pillow as Levi cuddled into him and they watched tv together. 

 

Levi didn't realize he had fallen asleep in Eren's arms until he was woken by the sound and flash of a camera; Carla and Kuchel giggling like teenagers in the doorway. 

"That one is going to be framed." Carla grinned. 

"Mom. I look like shit." Levi grumbled. 

"Shush, you two look adorable. How are you feeling? Suppressants working?" She asked. 

"Yeah, I'm a little uncomfortable but I can handle it." Levi said as Eren shifted beside him.     

"We're going to get going now anyway, so you can have a little privacy." Carla said as she gently shook Eren awake. Eren groaned and held Levi tighter. 

"Come on Eren, we need to leave Levi alone for a little bit. You can come back tomorrow after school if he's feeling up to it." Carla said and Eren's eyes opened slowly. 

"But he needs me." Eren said groggily. 

"He needs to be alone for a little while." Carla insisted and Eren looked to Levi who nodded shyly. He did need some privacy; even with the suppressants he still felt the buildup of arousal and he needed to shower and change his underwear. Heat was disgusting... 

Eren nodded, leaned over and kissed Levi on the cheek before getting up and saying goodbye. Kuchel changed Levi's bed sheets while he showered then helped him get comfortable, and gave him some more water and food. 

"Let me know if you need anything." She kissed the top of his head. He nodded. 

"Thanks Mom." He said with a small smile as she turned to go to bed.  

 

 

 

Levi woke up one morning in the height of his heat. He felt weak and achy, warm and disgusting; the suppressants could only do so much. But something was wrong. It wasn't with him and he couldn’t tell what it was but he had a feeling that something was wrong. He crawled out of bed; legs unsteady, and made his way out into the hallway. 

"Mom?" He called. Kuchel should have left for work an hour ago but he had to check. He noticed a couple flower petals on the floor as he made his way to the kitchen; hurrying as he noticed them accumulating. 

"MOM!" Levi screamed as he found her lying face down on the floor; blue and bloody flower petals scattered all around her. She was unresponsive but he could feel the weak rise and fall of her chest as he turned her over and tried to wake her up. He scrambled for the phone and called 911. 

The paramedics came shortly, rushing into the house, asking Levi questions, taking Kuchel's vitals and strapping her to a stretcher. 

"I have to go with her!" Levi cried as one blocked his way as the others carried her to the ambulance. 

"I'm sorry kid. You're obviously in heat, you can't go anywhere." He told him, Levi's eyes widened in horror. 

"You will  _not_  leave me here!!" He shouted. 

"Look, kid! You can't handle the stress right now. You'll make yourself sick. Go to bed, the doctor will call with updates." He said but Levi kept trying to push past him. The paramedic then moved his hand to the back of Levi's neck and grabbed the skin on his nape. Levi gasped slightly as the action left him disoriented and dizzy. It subdued him long enough for them to take him mother to the ambulance and drive off.  

Levi was livid when he came to his senses. He was ready to kill that bastard that dared to  _Scruff_ him. Tears were streaming down his face as he looked around the house frantically, he grabbed clean clothes, he lined his underwear with slick pads, he found the box of scent blockers; put on every last one of them, pulled on extra layers and stormed out of his house. 

He didn't care that his legs were weak or that his abdomen was burning, he had to see his mother  _now_! He walked all the way there, bursting into the emergency room and demanding to see her. It wasn't until Grisha came to see what the commotion was that they finally let Levi into see her. 

 

 

"Oh my god! Kuchel!" Carla cried, running into the room some time later. Kuchel was still asleep, with an oxygen mask over her pale face. 

"They won't tell me anything, I don’t know if she's okay." Levi whimpered from her bedside. 

"Levi!" Carla said rushing over to him. 

"You're in heat, you shouldn't be here." She said holding him up, which was a relief as he was barely doing it himself. 

"That's what the paramedics told me before they scruffed me. I'm not staying home while my mom is here!" Levi demanded angrily. 

"How did you get here?" Carla asked, her voice almost horrified as she checked his neck then felt his forehead; checking him out.  

"I walked." Levi stated. Carla gasped, she gently leaned Levi onto Kuchel's bedside before dashing to the door. 

"Grisha!" She cried out. 

Grisha came in a hurry, running to Levi and assessing him. They ended up bringing in a comfortable chair for him to sit in after he refused the hospital bed. They hooked him up to an IV to replenish the electrolytes he had lost and to help his body deal with the excessive amount of stress his body was under. He spent the rest of the day unmoving from Kuchel's side. 

 

She finally woke up that evening, waking Levi up with gentle fingers through his hair. 

"Mom?" He asked, opening his eyes. 

"I'm sorry baby." She whispered. Levi shook his head as tears flowed down his cheeks. 

"Why didn't you tell me you were getting worse?" He sobbed. 

"I didn't want to worry you. The treatment stopped working some time ago." Kuchel explained through laboured breaths. 

"What about surgery? Can’t they do it again if it didn’t work last time?" Levi asked. Kuchel shook her head. 

"The first surgery did more damage than good. The doctors said I wouldn’t survive another attempt." She said quietly and Levi dropped his head onto the bed; sobbing. 

 

 

 

Kuchel stayed in the hospital, it didn’t look like she was ever going to leave; alive anyway. Her Hanahaki disease had gotten so bad that it had collapsed her lungs and they were too week to stabilize without medical assistance. 

Eren had some to the hospital as soon as he had gotten out of school that day; he was as upset as everyone else over Kuchel, he felt the same for her as Levi did for Carla. He spent the time sitting curled up in the chair with Levi; holding the upset Omega and trying to soothe him as Kuchel lay there dying. 

Levi's heat had finally ended but the events of it had left him weak; even with Eren comforting him his body had been stressed beyond what was healthy, especially for a young Omega in only his second heat.  

Neither Levi nor Eren barely left the room; even Carla was there more often than she wasn't. Kuchel was in and out of consciousness; the doctors said it had spread to her heart, which apparently was very uncommon for the already rare disease but with the subpar treatment Kuchel had undergone 13 years before and the recent progression it wasn't looking good for her. 

Levi spent most of his time crying; he couldn't live without his mother, she was everything to him. He needed her; he needed her to teach him how to grow up, how to be a decent person, how to be a proper Omega. What was he going to do without her? 

Eren was mostly silent beside him; he cried occasionally too but mostly just held Levi; hugging him tight, bringing him good and water, rubbing his neck against Levi's own. It only caused Levi's scent to attach itself to Eren but the action was enough to soothe Levi if only slightly. 

 

Levi was dozing in Eren's arms when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps tapping against the tiled floor. He looked up to see a tall man with long black hair and a face with uncanny similarities to Kuchel's and his own; except for the deep wrinkles and hardened look in his eyes. 

"Uncle Kenny?" Levi asked in a groggy whisper. Kenny's eyes softened as they stared at the motionless Kuchel and moved over to Levi. 

"Hey runt, how you holdin' up?" He asked; his voice gruff from years of smoking. 

Erem who had woken up at the sound of Levi's voice stiffened and let out a quiet growl at the unfamiliar intruder; arms tightening around Levi protectively.   

"It's okay Eren. This is my uncle Kenny." Levi explained, eyeing the man he hadn’t seen in a few years. He and Kuchel were someone estranged; they had had an argument a few years back and there had been little contact ever since. Levi remembered it being a time when  _Lyell_  had been around and could only assume it had something to do with that awful man. 

Eren calmed down slightly; he stopped growling at least as Kenny made his way over to Kuchel who was slowly opening her eyes. 

"Hey sis, not doing so hot I see." Kenny said, his voice almost gentle. Kuchel smile and let out a light chuckle before coughing into her oxygen mask. Kenny shushed her and took her hand and sat in the chair on the other side of her bed. 

"I told you he was trouble." Kenny said with a smile though his eyes and voice held more pain than he could cover up. Kuchel nodded, a tear slipping down her eye. 

"I'm sorry. I knew you were right." She whispered hoarsely, Kenny just shook his head. 

"No point in apologizing now." He said, lifting her hand to kiss the back. 

 

Kuchel doesn't have a lot of time left, she's been in the hospital a couple weeks and is only getting worse; she hasn't responded to any medication and is unable to breath without assistance. Carla hasn't left her side in days; the woman is distraught. Kenny has been there more often than not as well and Levi and Eren have barely moved from their chair. 

Kuchel wakes up every few hours and always with a smile on her face. She seems so happy to see everyone together. She wipes away Levi's tears and holds him weakly as he climbs onto the bed with her; careful not to lean on her. She squeezes Carla's hand in an attempt to soothe her. Carla laughs almost bitterly. 

"Here you are sweet as ever trying to make me feel better while I'm doing  absolutely nothing for you!" Her voice breaks at the end. 

"You did everything for me." Kuchel whispers and Carla sobs. 

"I didn't see how sick you were. I didn’t even know you were sick until it was too late. I should have been able to help you. Grisha is a great doctor, he has contacts with the best doctors. I should have seen it earlier and we could have saved you." Carla rambled. Kuchel shook her head, staring into Carla's eyes as he ran her fingers through Levi's hair. 

"It's not your fault." She said, which only made Carla cry harder. 

"Might not be your fault she got the disease but you didn't fucking help." Kenny spat and Carla stared at him in wide eyed shock. 

"You're no better than that good for nothing Alpha. When someone falls in love with you, you just drag them along. You don’t return their feelings but you don’t let them go either." He said angrily. Levi perked up; curious about what Kenny was talking about. 

"I-I no! What?" Carla gasped. 

"Even I can fucking tell how she feels for you and I just got here a week ago." Kenny growled. 

"Kenny!." Kuchel said as sternly as her weak voice could manage then reached for Carla's hand while shaking her head. 

"Sister." She managed, then glared at her older brother. Carla nodded, tears still pouring from her eyes. 

"Sisters." She agreed. Kuchel smiled then turned to Levi, moving her mask so she could kiss him on the forehead before putting it back and drifting to sleep once more. 

 

Carla and Kenny didn’t speak to each other again. They were there for Kuchel now, not each other. The days following were the same; Kuchel's conditioned kept deteriorating until there was no time left. She was going to go at any moment. 

It was the middle of the night when she woke for the last time; Levi asleep with his head on her bed, her hand held tightly in his own. She nudged him awake gently; he shot up in panic, Eren waking beside him. 

"Mom?" What's wrong?" He asked. 

"It's time to say goodbye Levi." She rasped and the tears began flowing down his cheeks instantly. He shook his head determinedly. 

"No, Mom, you can't." He sobbed.  

"I'm sorry baby." Kuchel whispered, wiping the tears away from his face. "I love you so much. I'm so proud of you." She added hoarsely. 

"I love you too Mom." Levi cried. Kuchel ran her fingers through his hair, smiling gently at him before her eyes moved over to Eren. 

"You'll take care of him for me won’t you?" She asked. Eren whose own eyes were glassy with unshed tears nodded profusely. 

"I promise." His voice cracked and she smiled warmly at him before turning back to Levi. She squeezed his hand, mouthed 'I love you' once more before slipping back to sleep. That was the last time her eyes would ever open. She held on for two more days in her sleep before she passed quietly; Levi was inconsolable, Grisha gave him a mild sedative in order to pull him away from his mother. 

Carla and Eren brought him home with them; they gave him another dose of medication and tucked him into Eren's bed, where he slept for 2 days. 

 

"I don't have a suit." Levi said solemnly the morning of the wake. 

"That's okay. You can wear one of Eren's if you want. Or you can wear whatever you want." Carla said; her eyes rimmed with red. 

"I'd like to wear a suit." He said quietly, Carla nodded and went to get it for him. Levi got in the shower; cleaned himself up and dressed in Eren's plain black suit. When they were ready they headed to the funeral home where Kuchel's casket was set up for the funeral the next day. 

 

Levi spent the next two days in a haze; people he knew, people he knew of, and people he had never met before all came up to him with their condolences. He didn’t know what to say and just remained quiet. Luckily Carla and Grisha were beside him; thanking everyone for coming, and Eren was on his other side, being unnaturally quiet and holding Levi's hand tightly. 

 

 

"I'm going to keep him!" Carla shouted. 

Eren and Levi were sitting quietly in Eren's bedroom; a movie playing on his small tv though neither were paying enough attention to know which one. Carla, Grisha, and Kenny were in the kitchen having an argument. 

"He doesn’t belong to you." Kenny's gruff voice filtered through the house. 

"I've known him since he was 8 years old! He's as much mine as he is yours!" Carla yelled. 

"He's my blood! My sister just fucking died, I am taking her son with me. It’s my right." Kenny shouted angrily. Levi could hear the soft sound of Grisha's calm voice though he was too far away to hear what was being said. Whatever it was made Carla stop arguing. 

A few minutes later the three of them came into Eren's room and Carla knelt down in front of Levi. 

"You know I love you right?" She asked and Levi nodded sadly. "You are always welcome here, no matter what." She insisted. 

"Alright brat, you stay here for the night, I’ll be back in the morning and we're leaving. Better say your goodbyes." Kenny said. Levi looked up at him and nodded before turning back to Carla with a trembling lip. Carla's eyes watered as she pulled the small Omega into a hug. 

"You and Eren spend as much time together as you can." She said as she stood up with a sniffle and turned to leave the room. 

"You're leaving?" Eren finally asked. Levi nodded. 

"B-but you can't." Eren insisted. 

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered. Surprisingly Eren didn’t fight him; he seemed to know it was no use. Instead he wrapped his arms around him and they lay down on the bed and cuddled while finishing the movie that they still had no idea what it was. 

 

"Goodbye Levi." Carla said kneeling down in front of him and giving him food she packed for the road. Her eyes were watery and her lip trembling. Levi could only nod as she wrapped her arms around him. 

"If you  _ever_ need me. I'm here. Always." She said. 

"Thank you." Levi whispered. Carla moved out of the way with a sniffle.  

"Take care of yourself Levi." Grisha said, laying his hand on Levi's small shoulder with a gentle squeeze. "I gave your Uncle a prescription for your suppressants and I want you to keep taking these for two weeks. You're still very week from your past heat." He added, handing Levi the small bottle of pills.  

"Thank you Dr. Jaegar." Levi said. 

"Can we go?" Kenny huffed irritably. Levi ignored him and looked over to Eren who was sitting on the step behind them; arms hugging himself tightly, face distraught and turned away.. 

"Eren, are you going to come say goodbye?" Carla asked. Eren shook his head, shifting himself to turn farther away from them. Levi's lip trembled and his vision blurred. 

"Eren. Don’t do this." Carla scolded sadly, but Eren was stubborn and wouldn’t move. Carla hugged Levi one last time, kissing his head and whispering apologies to him before Levi turned to follow his Uncle out to the car. 

 

"Levi!" Eren cries as Levi opened the car door and was about to climb in. He stopped to look towards the house where Eren was running out, tears streaming down his face. Levi turned towards him opening his arms as Eren slammed into him; hugging him so tight it was almost painful. 

"I don't want you to go." His cries muffled into Levi's shoulder. Levi didn't want to go either; not only did he just lose his mother but now he was losing his best friend and future mate. 

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered. 

"Will I ever see you again?" Eren pulled away only far enough to look at Levi's face. 

"I hope so." Levi said. 

"Of course you will! This is not forever!" Carla demanded, shooting a glare at Kenny. 

"I love you Levi." Eren whispered, beautiful eyes shimmering in sadness. 

"I love you too." Levi whispered. 

"Alright, alright. Enough. Levi, get in the damn car." Kenny grumbled, pulling the two apart. Levi climbed into the car and looked out his window. His eyes never leaving Eren's as Kenny pulled away. 

 

"We're not going home first?" Levi asked as Kenny turned in the opposite direction of Levi's apartment. 

"Your shit's in the back." Kenny said. 

"My horse?" Levi asked in a panic. Kenny grunted in confusion. 

"My horse. My stuffed horse, did you take it?" Levi asked. 

"You're too old for a stupid stuffed toy." Kenny said. 

"No! Please! I need it! Turn around! Please!!" Levi begged desperately. Kenny glanced at him before stopping the car with a growl and turning around. 

 

Levi didn't say another word for the rest of the trip after they went back for the stuffed horse. He spent the 5 hour drive curled up in the seat, holding the toy tightly to his chest and trying not to think about everything he had lost. 

 

Kenny's house was nothing extravagant. It was small and unkept, the furniture worn, and smelled of cigarette smoke. Levi didn't bother to look around, he just followed Kenny to his new bedroom; put his bad down on the floor, and curled up on the bed, hugging his horse tightly. 

 

  

 

 

 

"Alright, enough of this." Kenny demanded. It had been a couple week since Levi had come to stay and he had barely left his room or eaten anything. 

"This pathetic woe is me Omega scent is fucking killing me." He growled. 

"I'm sorry." Levi murmured. 

"I know you lost your mother but it's time to toughen up. Start eating, take a shower. You’re not some helpless Omega." Kenny said. 

"I am an Omega." Levi said quietly. 

"Doesn’t mean you have to be an incompetent bitch who's goal in life is to be fucked by some insufferable Alpha who wants nothing more than just that." Kenny spat. 

"I'm not like that! Neither is Eren!" Levi demanded, sitting up and glaring at his Uncle. 

"Then prove it! Get up, move on, and forget about that stupid kid. You're not going to see him again and he's probably forgotten about you already." Kenny said gruffly. 

"Eren wouldn't forget me. He's going to be a good Alpha." Levi said quietly. 

"A good.. A good Alpha?" Kenny scoffed 

"Alphas are scum! Your father is a goddamn alpha and all he did was destroy your mother. He was rich, he fucking pampered her and offered her the world! She was an 20 year old Omega prostitute! She got pregnant with you and he fucked off back to his goddamn family. She got that damn disease and went to a sketchy ass doctor when you were a baby, he did a botch  fucking job of the surgery." Kenny rambled angrily, he was getting visibly upset. 

"You're not supposed to remember the person who caused the disease! You're supposed to forget and your lungs are supposed to be healthy! All he fucking did was stop it, she had that nasty fucking cough and she remembered that bastard! Then he kept coming back!" Kenny pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Alpha's don’t fucking care about Omegas. You got dealt a shit card being a male Omega but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with Alpha shit." Kennys voice was quiet and somber. 

"Not all Alpha's are like that." Levi said meekly. He had always thought that man might be his father and hated him anyway, now he hated him more than ever. But that didn't mean Eren was going to do something like that to him. Eren was kind, and sweet, he cared for Levi and protected him even though he was still just a child. 

"Yes they are. You're better off not having anything to do with them romantically, they'll just disappoint you." Kenny said. 

"You're an Alpha." Levi glared up at his Uncle. 

"Yeah, so I know what I'm fucking talking about!" Kenny glared back. 

"Trust me Brat, you're better off without him. Now go take a fucking shower!" He added, turning to leave. Levi sat motionless on his bed thinking.  

There's no way Eren would do that to him would he? Eren was so determined to make Levi his omega; he never cared that Levi was a little different. That he was quiet or that he thought too much, or that his natural expression was one of indifference. Eren had always accepted him.  

Reiner and Ymir were no different when he thought about it either. They hadn’t claimed him as their Omega or tried to win his heart but they were nice to him, treated him like a friend and protected him when he was in need. 

His missed his friends terribly. Not only Eren but Ymir, Reiner, Annie, Armin, and Krista as well. Kenny was right about one thing though; it was time to move on. Of course everything was still going to hurt but he wasn't going to let it take him over anymore. He got up and made his way to the bathroom for a long hot shower. 

 

 

 

 

"Here, start talking these." Kenny tossed a package of pills at him while he ate a bowl of cereal before his first day of his new school. Levi looked at them curiously. 

"They're suppressants." Kenny said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. 

"These aren't the once Dr. Jaegar gave me." Levi said, reading the bottle. 

"Just take them. They'll calm down that forsaken Omegan scent and stop your heat." Kenny explained. 

"Stop them?" Levi asked. The thought was very appealing; he had only had two heats so far and they hadn't been pleasant. Now he didn't have his mother or even Eren to help him get through them, suppressing them completely seemed like the optimal choice. 

"Yeah, all I need is to deal with you being in heat in this fucking neighborhood." Kenny grumbled. Levi nodded and took one with his breakfast. He finished getting ready and Kenny drove him to school; Levi went to the office, got his schedule, his bus route, his books and his locker. 

"Hi! Levi?" A girl with thick glasses and brown hair pulled into a ponytail yelled as he was putting his books in his new locker. Levi looked at her startled, she didn’t have an obvious scent but she did have one so Levi could only assume she was a Beta. 

"I'm Hange! I've been assigned to show you around school. You're in grade 9 right?" She asked and he nodded. 

"Did you skip a grade or something? You're awfully small." She laughed. 

"I'm not small! You're just freakishly big." Levi snapped with a glare, she just laughed harder. 

"I like you Levi! I'm in grade 9 too, come on I'll show you around." Hange said happily, grabbing his hand and pulling through the school. 

 

 

He didn't actually have any classes with Hange that morning but she did show him where he needed to go and where the nearest bathrooms were. He sat in his classroom quietly like he had years ago when he was new to his last school. Things turned out better than he could have possibly imagined there though he dreaded how they were going to turn out this time, how often were you so lucky twice?

 

He made his way to the cafeteria, holding the bag of lunch Kenny had actually thrown together for him that morning. Kenny didn't act like it but he was trying and Levi appreciated the effort. 

He looked around lost, trying to find a secluded area to sit by himself. It wasn;t like the 3rd grade where they just ate in their classroom at lunchtime; this was high school and it was terrifying by yourself. 

"Hey baby, haven't seen you around before." Some strongly scented Alpha slinked his arm around Levi's shoulder. Levi stiffened, wishing Kenny had given him the scent reducing suppressants a week ago so they would have kicked in by now. 

"I-uh.." Levi began. 

"Levi!! Over here!!" Hange yelled from one of the tables, she was standing and waving. Levi felt a flood of relief to see the eccentric girl. 

"Excuse me." He said slipping away from the overbearing Alpha and made his way down to Hange's table. She was sitting with a boy with a sharp jawline, bright blue eyes and blonde hair. He was very handsome with a distinctive Alpha scent. 

"Hey short stack, we weren't interrupting were we?" Hange laughed. 

"Not at all." Levi said glaring at the nickname. 

"Good. Levi this is my best friend Erwin smith, he's the year ahead of us and going to take over the world one day. Erwin, this is Levi he just transferred in."Hange explained. 

"It's nice to meet you Levi, can I ask why you transferred so late in the year? I mean Exams are in 3 weeks then it's summer." Erwin asked. 

"My mom died. I moved in with my Uncle." Levi said quietly, biting into his sandwich. Erwin stiffened, embarrassment and sympathy lacing his scent slightly. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry Levi." He said, Hange nodding wide eyed beside him. 

"It's okay, you didn't know. I'm fine, I just don't want to talk about it." Levi said. 

"That's fine, we'll talk about everything else! I can help you catch up for the exams if you need it." Hange smiled brightly. 

"Yeah and you can hang out with us whenever you want, especially if you're trying to avoid any...unwanted attention." Erwin smirked.  

"Thanks" he said, giving them both a small smile with a roll of his eyes. "Are all the Alpha's like that here?" He asked. 

"Hey, In resent that!" Erwin stated though his lips turned in a slight smile. 

"A lot of them are. Erwin is one of those nice guys, he wouldn't do that even if he was interested in someone." Hange explained making Erwin blush slightly. 

"Were they not like that at your last school?" She added, stuffing a spoonful of pudding into her mouth. 

"They probably were but I had a couple Alpha friends who kept them away. They kept telling everyone I was taken." Levi said with a quiet but fond chuckle. 

"Oooh, you have an Alpha? Spill!" Hange leaned forward, her hands under her chin and a giant grin on her face. Levi felt the pang of sadness that he had been trying to suppress coming to the surface. 

"He. Um. He's a bit younger, hasn't presented yet. He's not actually... I'm sorry, I'd rather not talk about it." Levi wiped his eye hastily, glancing up at the two. Hange's smile had faded and her posture relaxed, Erwin looked pensive and sympathetic. 

"We're sorry Levi, we don't mean to pry. If we ever talk about something you don't like just tell us." Erwin said. 

"Yeah and we'll try to fill in for your other friends. We'll keep the annoying Alpha's away and keep you company." Hange said with a tentative grin. 

"That would be nice. Thank you," Levi said quietly and giving them both a small smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please tell me what you think
> 
> <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look I'm on time with the update!  
> This may or may not happen again as I have reached the point where I'm no longer ahead. So I apologize in advance if updates are not as quick in the future, I think July is going to be a busy month for me.
> 
> Also, you guys are awesome! You leave such lovely comments and there's like 125 kudos with only 3 chapters! (And I'm still baffled by the subscriptions) 
> 
> Please Enjoy!

* * *

 

 

Levi hadn’t expected Hange and Erwin to actually spend time with him. Not that they didn’t seem nice, he just assumed that they wouldn’t want to bother with the depressed Omega who just lost his entire life a few weeks ago.  

He was surprised though when Hange followed through with catching Levi up on everything he needed to know for his finals; they spent free periods and after school in the library, she called him on the weekends to go over material, and she gave him all of her personal notes. Levi actually felt ready for his exams by the time he had to do them, he had had a good understanding of the material before but missing weeks of school definitely put him behind.  

Thanks to Hange he managed to keep his grades fairly consistent with those he had previous. Lowering only a few points on average which was excusable considering what he had gone through. 

 

It was the first day of summer vacation; normally he would be over to Eren's house by now, probably playing videogames or watching a movie because it was barely lunchtime and Eren was very lazy in the mornings. Thinking of Eren hurt; it had been over a month since he had been here and he hadn't heard from him. From anyone. 

Kenny had banned him from using the phone for long distance calls; telling him that if any of them cared for him they would call him. Obviously they didn't care as much as he had thought they had. They had probably forgotten all about him by now. Eren had probably found another mate; a pretty girl his own age probably going to present as an Omega, or even a Beta. If he didn’t have one now he'd have one sooner or later.  

Levi held his horse tight to his chest as he curled up on the couch. He missed his mother; she always knew when he was thinking too much. She would pull him out of his thoughts tell him he was being ridiculous and hold him tightly. He could use a hug right now; he wished more than anything that it could be from his mother but he knew that would never happen again. 

 

The sound of the doorbell pulled him out of his thoughts. He wiped his eyes before moving to get it. He opened it a crack and peered through it, only to see big brown eyes peering in through the same crack. 

"Hange?" He asked, opening the door the rest of the way to find her and Erwin on his doorstep. 

"Hi!! It’s summer, wanna hang out?!" Hange half shouted. 

"Really?" Levi asked. 

"Of course!" Erwin smiled. 

"What did you think we were just going to ignore you all Summer and see you in September?" Hange laughed. Levi blushed slightly, looking away. 

"Aww, Levi! You're adorable!" Hange cried and pounced on him, holding him close. "You're part of the group now!" She said, Levi relaxing into her arms. He moved on instinct, holding on to the closeness a little longer than was intended, Hange seemed to notice he needed the contact, she calmed down and smoothed her hand over his hair. 

"S-sorry." Levi said finally pulling away, Hange smiled gently. 

"Don't worry about it." She said. 

"So what are we doing?" Levi asked. 

"Just walking around for now. We usually go hang at Erwin's place when we get tired of being outside, he's got the best set up, plus no annoying siblings." Hange explained.  

"Okay, come in. I just have to call my Uncle. Would you like some water? We only have tap but there's ice." Levi said leading them in. 

"Thanks." Erwin said politely as the two made their way into the kitchen and Levi made a phone call to his Uncle's work. Kenny was a cop and worked long hours; he didn't care where Levi was going, as long as he was home by 11; 'before the fucking deadbeats come out.'  

They walked around town; it wasn't a huge town but it was big enough to spend a few hours showing Levi different cool places to go. Levi really liked the pond; they stayed for a while; walking around it, sitting on the wharf and dipping their feet in the water. They decided to plan for a day later on the summer to bring their swimming gear, they'd wait until the hot weather to warm the water up a little first as it was still frigid. 

After beating around town for hours they finally decided to stop into Café Rose for a break and a cold drink before heading back to Erwin's house to veg in his airconditioned basement. Hange sighed in exaggerated relief when the air conditioning swept over them as they walked inside. There was a bit of a line but they didn’t mind, they just basked in the cool air while Levi reapplied his sunscreen, shooting Hange a glare as she laughed at him and poked fun as his fair complexion.  

Hange chatted aimlessly; the girl could go on for hours without a break, uncaring if anyone even joined in. Levi surprisingly didn't find it annoying, he rather liked it actually; it saved him from coming up with much to say while still being a part of things. He did notice that Erwin wasn't taking part in the conversation anymore, Levi followed Erwin's gaze to the counter and the workers behind it. There was a pretty girl with a curvy figure and long red hair. She was tall; taller than Levi anyway – who wasn't? But she looked minuscule compared to the giant next to her. He was the tallest person Levi had ever seen, he had broad shoulders, a straight nose, shaggy blonde hair, and thin scruffy facial hair. 

Erwin's eyes followed the blonde; he was transfixed and unresponsive. Levi raised an eyebrow and looked at Hange who grinned. 

"That's Mike, he was a senior last year when Erwin was a freshman. Erwin has got it bad!" Hange whispered with a chuckle. Levi laughed softly and watched Erwin as it was finally their turn at the counter. 

"Hey Erwin, Hange and.." Mike smiled, eyes landing on Levi. He had a sweet smile, kind eyes, and a gentle Alpha scent. It wasn't overpowering but enough to make you feel at ease around him. 

"This is Levi, he's new." Hange introduced. 

"It's nice to meet you Levi. Now what can I get you?" Mike said, eyes going back to Erwin, smile still on his face. 

"I.. We.. Iced.." Erwin stammered and Levi nearly snorted. Erwin was the most articulate person Levi knew, even more so than Armin and here he was falling over himself because of this boy.  

"Lemonade?" Mike asked with a grin. Erwin nodded, blushing profusely.  

"That'll be $6.25." Mike said. Erwin pulled out his wallet and paid before they moved to the side of the counter as the other Barista; Marie prepared the drinks. Erwin walked over to a booth as far from the counter as possible and practically fell into it; holding his head in his hands.  

"Poor thing." Marie giggled as she leaned over the counter to look at Erwin handing Hange the iced drinks. 

"Hopeless." Hange laughed, passing one to Levi and the two made their way down to the table. 

"So Mike huh?" Levi asked. 

"Am I that obvious?" Erwin groaned 

"A little." Levi smirked. "A lot." Hange said at the same time. Erwin moaned loudly, head falling into his hands again; fingers gripping his hair tightly. 

"He probably thinks I'm such an idiot." He said. 

"Actually I'd say he thinks you're cute." Levi said sipping his drink. He had never had an iced Lemonade before, it was a little too sweet but not bad. 

"Yeah for a stupid kid. He's 18, he's in college, he's an Alpha. There's no way he'd go for me. I'm a stupid dorky 15 year old Alpha in high school; I'm too skinny, my limbs are too long, my voice still cracks and I trip over my own feet." Erwin rambled helplessly. "Besides, Alpha's don’t think other Alpha's are cute." He added in a mumble. 

"You're just not used to your growth spurt yet. You'll get used to your new height and you'll fill out I'm sure!" Hange reassured. "Six months ago Erwin was shorter than me. He hasn't quite figured things out yet." Hange explained to Levi, who nodded in surprise; Erwin was nearly a head over Hange, it must be quite the adjustment. 

"Besides, you don't know what he thinks! Mike is always so nice to you and he smiles whenever you act all shy. He definitely thinks you're cute, who wouldn't?!" Hange said, slurping her lemonade loudly. 

"Maybe I was cute before I presented. If I presented as a Beta maybe I still would be but as an Alpha I don't have a chance with him." Erwin sulked, fingers fidgeting with his cup but not actually drinking anything. Hange rubbed Erwin's shoulder soothingly while Levi gave him a sympathetic smile. Levi hadn't realized Alpha's dating other Alphas was such a big deal. He supposed with the dominant personalities of Alphas it wasn't a common occurrence but what did that matter? 

He hoped things would work out for his new friend.  

 

Levi spent nearly every day with Hange and Erwin. They didn't do much of anything but Levi enjoyed it. They spent a lot of time in Erwin's basement, sometimes at Hange's. Hange had a younger sister named Sasha; she was 12 and seemed alright, Levi never had thought much of age differences. She really liked food, she ate constantly yet she was never full, her best friend Connie was always over and he ate nearly as much as she did though always stopped before she did. He was the first boy Levi had ever met that was smaller than himself. Sure he was still only 12 and had time to grow but even Armin was the same size as Levi and Levi was nearly 3 years older than him. 

Hange tried to avoid Sasha and Connie as much as possible so they spent most of their time at Erwin's in his basement. Erwin had a nice house; mother had a corporate job while his dad was a school teacher, they had a more than comfortable living and a very nice airconditioned basement. 

Erwin's parents were very nice, especially his dad. He and Levi bonded over both being Male Omegas; Levi didn’t really say much but he appreciated how sweet the man was and the conversations they often had while Levi was over. He made it known to Levi that if he ever needed someone to talk to, especially about Omega related things he was always welcome to come to him.  

 

 

 

Levi and Kenny were on their way to a BBQ at his other Uncle's house to celebrate the July Holiday. He had only met his Uncle Shawn once or twice. He hadn’t been close to Kuchel or Kenny for most of their lives; he was their half-brother, not much younger than Kuchel and the product of their father's affair. Kenny and Kuchel had stayed with their mother, hardly ever seeing their father throughout the years. 

Kenny had spent time with their father in the last few years of his life, being a fair bit older than Kuchel he had known their father a bit better and felt obligated to spend his remaining years with him; just as they had with their mother. He had gotten closer with his younger brother Shawn during this time and they remained an occasional part of each other's lives after the funeral.  

 

Kuchel and Levi hadn't gone to the funeral; she didn't have a relationship with her father and after having the fight with Kuchel not long before regarding Levi's father, she hadn’t gone for him either. That's why Levi had little to no memory of his Uncle or apparently his cousin that was close to his own age. A little over two years younger; she was in the same grade as Eren.  

He really needed to stop comparing everyone to Eren... 

 

"Levi! It's so good to see you again!" His Aunt Kimi called out as he and Kenny walked into the big back yard. She was a beautiful woman; Asian decent with long silky hair and gentle eyes.  

"Hi." He said nervously, assessing the Omega woman that he didn't remember ever meeting and the Alpha man behind her didn’t have a much better recollection of. He didn't look like the rest of the family. Kenny and Kuchel must have gotten their dark features and sharp eyes from their mother as Shawn looked nothing like them with his light brown hair and eyes. 

"You probably don’t remember me. You were almost 2 when we met, Mikasa wasn't even born yet. You have grown into such a beautiful boy, you look so much like your mother." Kimi said sweetly. 

"Thanks." Levi said, looking down at the ground sadly. He liked that he looked like his mother though he still found it hard when anyone mentioned her. 

"I'm so sorry about Kuchel. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask." Kimi smiled gently, squeezing his shoulder. Levi nodded. 

"Well it's nice to meet you again Levi." Uncle Shawn shook his hand. "Mikasa is over there with some other kids if you want to go meet her." He added. Levi glanced over to where the kids were hanging out. He could see Sasha and Connie; Hange must have been over there as well. 

"Would you like me to introduce you?" Kimi asked and Kenny scoffed beside Levi. 

"He's a big boy, he can do it himself." He said. 

"I'll be alright, I think I see my friend actually. It was nice meeting you Aunt Kimi, Uncle Shawn." Levi said before walking over to them. He found Hange sitting quietly reading a book off to the side, quieter than he had ever seen her. 

"Hey" Levi said plopping down beside her. She looked up startled. 

"Levi!!" She screeched, throwing her arms around him. "What are you doing here??"  

"Shawn is my Uncle." He said simply. 

"Right! Ackerman! I'm an idiot! I'm so glad you're here, these barbeques are always a drag. Plus Erwin's family always goes to one of his Mom's co-workers for a party, so I'm always stuck here with the kids" Hange explained with an eye roll and a nod towards the small group not far away.. 

"There's nothing wrong with friends a few years younger." Levi said quietly. 

"I know, but when it's my sister there is." Hange moaned dramatically. As if on cue Sasha came up to them; followed by Connie and a couple others. 

The Asian girl with the mid length black hair, grey eyes, and cold expression he could only assume was Mikasa. The petite girl beside her with Long strawberry blond hair and brown eyes, he was unsure.  

"Hi." Mikasa said. Her face held no expression as her eyes scanned him 

"Hey." He said standing up. 

"Levi right? I'm Mikasa." She said, he nodded. 

"Sorry about you Mom." She said 

"Thanks." He said 

"This is Petra. You know Sasha and Connie already." She said, Levi's eyes moved to the red head; she had a sweet smile on her face and seemed so different than Mikasa. Kind of like what he and Eren must have always looked like. 

"Nice to meet you! I hope we can be friends." She said pleasantly. 

"Of course." Levi gave a small smile and she beamed. 

 

 

"So Levi, you're going to grade 10?" Petra asked as they were sitting down at the 'children's' table when dinner was ready. 

"Yeah." He said simply, scooping some potato salad on his plate. He wasn't a fan of potato salad but everyone at the party had been raving about Kimi's so he figured he'd try some.  

"Cool. I'm going to grade 9, so we'll be in the same school." Petra said. 

"You're not the same age as Mikasa?" Hange asked, Petra's eyes moved over to Hange who was looking at her intently and her face flushed slightly. 

"No. I'm just a little small for my age." She said shyly. 

"I can relate." Levi mumbled and Petra giggled. 

"You're welcome to hang out with us in school if you don't have any friends in your grade." Hange said with a shrug, stuffing her face with potato salad. 

"That would be great. Thanks." Petra said shyly. Levi raised a brow at her which just made her blush some more and look into her plate again. He decided to keep his speculation to himself. For now, anyway. 

 

Levi had a decent time. He enjoyed talking with Mikasa and her friends, he and Hange talked like they normally did, and the meal was actually pretty decent. 

Petra seemed very nice, she was sweet and friendly; almost the complete opposite of Mikasa though that didn't seem to stop them from being best friends and incredibly close. Levi thought it was really nice actually; he couldn't help but to let it remind him of Eren. He wondered what Eren was doing, how he was holding up, who he was spending time with. He was probably spending most of his time with Armin; maybe the others too. He wondered how they were all doing as well; did they miss him like he missed them? The had been wonderful friends, not that his new friends weren’t great. He loved spending time with Hange and Erwin, they helped him forget about his old life enough to live his new one. Even now Hange nudged his side to pull him away from his thoughts. He still hadn't told them about Eren or his mother but they knew when he was getting caught up in his thoughts. He gave her a small appreciative smile. 

"Mikasa, are you going to eat that?" Sasha asked, leaning over Mikasa and nearly drooling over the un-eaten piece of bread on her plate. Mikasa and Sasha seemed to be friends though Mikasa didn’t seemed overly attached to her, or ever like her that much to be honest. 

"I hadn't decided." Mikasa said coldly. 

"Can I have it? It's the last one." Sasha begged, eyes transfixed on the bread. Mikasa picked it up and looked at it, she seemed as though she was actually considering it as Sasha inched closer; drool gathering in the corners of her mouth before Mikasa stuffed half of it in her mouth and bit it. She glared at Sasha's shocked/devastated face as he chewed. Sasha making an odd whining sound. Petra gave Mikasa a glare as she tried to hold in a giggle. Levi gave a quiet chuckle while Hange and Connie laughed loudly. 

"Hey kids. What's so funny?" Kimi asked bringing over a tray of desserts. 

"Sasha farted." Mikasa said simply as she swallowed her mouthful of bread. 

"Whaaaa?!?" Sasha screeched. 

"Mikasa, don't pick on Sasha." Kimi reprimanded as she laid the desserts in front of them. 

"Fine." Mikasa said, glancing at Sasha and passing her the other half of the roll. Sasha's face brightened as she stuffed it into her own mouth, earning herself a small smile from Mikasa. 

These people were nothing if not entertaining. 

 

 

 

 

 

"I'm bored." Erwin sighed as he and Levi watched a movie in his basement. There were only a couple weeks left of summer and Hange had gone on her annual family vacation. 

"Yeah things are definitely less exciting without Shitty Glasses around." Levi said, he was leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest while Erwin sat beside him; arm over the back of the couch. 

"Sorry I'm not entertaining." Erwin said. 

"I didn’t say that." Levi glared up at him and Erwin chuckled.  

"So I think that girl Petra has a crush on Hange." Levi said. 

"The little one that hangs out with your cousin?" Erwin asked curiously and Levi nodded. 

"Hange is completely oblivious." Levi added. 

"Sounds like Hange." Erwin laughed. 

"Yeah, maybe she'll notice when we're in school together." Levi said, Erwin hummed in agreement. 

"It would be nice for her to have someone." He said. "Nice for everyone really." He added. Levi nodded. He missed Eren. They hadn't actually been together, just very close friends with promises of the future. They had only kissed once but Levi missed the feeling of his soft lips against his, of his warm arms holding him close. Eren was always warm, except when Levi was in heat and Eren's touch would actually cool him down. 

 

Levi finally realized that Erwin was staring at him and his eyes widened slightly as Erwin began to lean toward him slowly. Erwin wanted to kiss him? When did that happen? He thought they were just friends. It's not that Erwin wasn't a great guy; he was handsome, he had a nice scent that was strong but not too dominant, and he was extremely kind and caring. The problem was though; he wasn't Eren. He wasn't his self-proclaimed Alpha that was determined to protect him at all costs. 

Maybe that was a good thing? For all Levi knew, he'd never see Eren again. Maybe their time apart would cause Eren to forget about him. Maybe that's what he needed to do. Maybe kissing Erwin was a step towards moving on. 

He closed his eyes as their lips pressed together softly. It was nice, Erwin had soft yet strong lips and Levi relaxed into the kiss; their lips moving together. They pulled away after a moment, both looking away and blushing. 

"That was weird." Levi finally said. 

"It was weird!" Erwin exclaimed. "I'm sorry!" He added. 

"It's fine. It's good to know there's nothing really there isn't there? I mean you're into Mike aren't you?" Levi asked, it's not that he didn't like the kiss, but the thought of kissing an Alpha that wasn't Eren upset him more than it probably should have. 

"Yeah. I am" Erwin nodded sadly. "It's just that I don’t have a chance with him. You, you're really great. You're an Omega, you're beautiful, you have a nice scent, and we get along really well. I feel like I should fall for you; things would be so much easier if we were together. I just don’t feel it." He explained. 

"I get it. I think you're great too. Handsome and all that. I just..." Levi drifted off. 

"You're in love with your Alpha back home." Erwin stated and Levi nodded. 

"He's probably forgotten about me by now." He said sadly. 

"I don’t believe that for a second" Erwin smiled. 

"He hasn't tried to contact me. I haven't heard from anyone since I moved and Kenny won't let me call long distance. He said if they cared they would have called by now. He's probably right." Levi said sadly.  

"He might have a good reason." Erwin suggested, Levi shook his head sadly, he didn’t want to talk about Eren to anyone.  

"Come on, let's go to the Café and oogle Mike for a bit." Levi jumped up off the couch. Erwin laughed and followed him. 

"You know I can't refuse that." He said as they made their way outside to walk to Café Rose.  

 

 

Levi's new life continued and it actually wasn't that bad. He and Kenny got along okay; Kenny was harsh and rough around the edges but he was trying his best to do right by Kuchel and take care of Levi. Levi did his best to repay him; he cleaned the house, prepared meals, and tried to stay out of trouble. 

He did, for the most part, stay out of trouble. He spent time with Hange, Erwin, and now Petra; they had welcomed her into their group in the beginning of the school year. They kept to themselves, except the odd time an Alpha would hit on Levi. Levi's suppressants had stopped his heats and lessened his scent but his scent was still fairly noticeable and apparently endearing. He would glare at anyone who got too close to him; he wasn't interested in anyone but his friends, especially not Alphas who thought he would bend at their will.  

Erwin often tried to deter the unwanted attention, though he didn’t act very much like a normal Alpha. He wasn't dominant like his stereotypical dynamic and wasn't good at going head to head with others. He often wished he was a beta since he acted more like one; though that didn’t stop him from protecting his friends when he needed to. Sometimes he would simply put his arm around Levi to make the overbearing Alpha's think the Levi was taken; it has caused rumors of them being together, though neither of them cared enough to dispute them. It helped both of them avoid unwanted attention from others; Levi having no interest in Alphas and Erwin having no interest in Omegas.     

 

As nice as his new life was Levi still missed his old one terribly. His missed his mother so much it was painful to think about her. He wanted to see her smile again, to feel her arms around him once more, and just talk with her for a little while.  

He thought about Eren everyday as well. He wondered what the younger boy was doing, how he was doing in school, if he made anymore friends. Had he found someone else to be his mate? Did he ever thing about Levi? Did Carla?  

It had sounded like Carla had wanted to take Levi in when Kuchel but that couldn’t have been true. Levi knew Kenny wouldn't let her but she hadn't even tried to call him in the months that he had been here, neither did Eren. 

He couldn’t have been as important as he had thought... 

 

 

 

 

 

"Happy Birthday Levi!" Mikasa said, giving Levi a quick hug as he and Kenny walked into the house. 

"Thanks, but my birthday isn’t until tomorrow." Levi returned the hug. The last few months of being friends with Petra had gotten Levi and Mikasa a little closer as they would often spend time together on weekends. 

"I know, but tomorrow is probably going to be crazy so I wanted to tell you now and we can celebrate properly." Mikasa gave him a soft smile which Levi returned. 

"Alright Kenny, you know where the bar is, Shawn is in the family room with his mother. Mikasa why don’t you get some punch for you and Levi and go spend time with your grandmother. Dinner will be ready shortly." Kimi instructed. Mikasa nodded and pulled Levi along with her. 

Mikasa's grandmother was a nice lady; she insisted Levi call her grandma. Levi found this kind of weird since this was the woman that his grandfather had cheated on his actual grandmother with but he had never met either of those people so he figured, what was the harm.  

They had a nice Christmas Eve dinner; it was simple and intimate. They talked, laughed, ate. It was like a real family; a somewhat dysfunctional one but a family nonetheless.  

Kimi and Mikasa cleared the table; refusing Levi's offer to help. A few moments later Levi figured out why as Mikasa dimmed the lights and Kimi walked out of the kitchen holding a cake with candles lit and softly singing 'Happy Birthday'. 

Levi blushed as the room sang to him before he blew out the candles. 

"Happy Birthday Levi, we're glad that you're here with us." Kimi smiled as she started cutting the cake. 

"Thanks.' He said with a small smile 

"15 eh? Time you got a job huh? Contribute a little?" Kenny asked, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. 

"Can I get one?" Levi asked, his curiosity peaking; he had actually been thinking about a hob for a while now but you had to be at least 15 with a letter from your guardian to get a job. 

"Maybe wait until the summer, yeah?" Kenny said, losing his smirk; obviously caught in his own bluff. Levi nodded before taking a bite of his homemade birthday cake. If Kimi was anything it was an amazing cook. 

 

"Kenny! You better not be teaching the children how to play poker!" Kimi scolded a couple hours later as the three were sitting at the table with a deck of cards. 

"Better off knowing now before some self-righteous Alpha scum tries to hustle them when they’re older." Kenny said laying a card down. "Besides, they’re winning." He grumbled as Levi laid down his cards. 

"Good thing we're not playing for money." Levi said as he slid the small pile of Christmas candy towards himself. 

"Maybe you should." Kimi laughed and kept walking towards where her husband and Mother in Law were spending their time and Kenny dealt the cards for another round. 

 

 

 

"I can't believe you got a job here." Erwin said as they walked toward the café, it was the first day of Summer and Levi's first shift at Café Rose. Kenny had kept his word and a couple weeks before school ended he took Levi around with a resume and a signed letter stating he was under 16 but had permission from his legal guardian to work part time. Levi had applied to every part time job in town and managed to land himself a job at Café Rose for 25 hours a week. 

"Are you jealous Erwin?" Hange asked, elbowing him with a grin on her face. 

"No! Well maybe a little. My parents won’t let me get a job, said I have to concentrate on school so I can work with my Mom when I finish University." Erwin explained. 

"Yeah, that's the only reason!" Hange scoffed and Even Levi gave a small chuckle as they walked in. It was pretty slow, with no one in the line up and Mike wiping down the counter, his face broke into a smile when he saw them. 

"Hey guys!" He said. 

"W-welcome back. How was your semester?" Erwin asked, trying to be bold. 

"It was good. College is really great, but home has its perks as well." Mike grinned, Erwin blushed at the eye contact and looking away. 

"Hey, I'm supposed to be starting today." Levi said, drawing the attention away from Erwin. 

"Oh, you're the Levi that I'm training, I should have known. Gunter, can you take Erwin and Hange's order while I show the new guy out back?" Mike asked the dark haired barista, who nodded and moved to the cash as Mike waved to Erwin and Hange before leading Levi to the back room. 

"I didn’t realize you were old enough to work." Mike said. 

"I'm 15." Levi said. 

"You don’t look it." Mike smirked and Levi glared at him making him laugh. 

"Wow, for an Omega you’re frightening." He said. 

"Yeah keep that in mind. So where do we start?" Levi asked, tying the apron that Mike gave him around himself. It reached past his knees but he refused to acknowledge it. Mike gave an amused smile and began to show Levi around. 

 

 

"You did a good job today" Mike said as the two cleaned the place up after closing. Levi wasn't actually required to stay for closing but he was waiting for his ride and couldn’t pass up a proper cleaning. 

"Thanks." He said, scrubbing a coffee stain off the counter. 

"Is Erwin picking you up?" Mike asked, a little awkward hesitation in his voice. 

"No, my Uncle is." Levi said, rinsing his cloth and scrubbing the counter again. 

"Oh cool. I just figured since.." Mike trailed off, Levi glanced over at the giant man who was focusing entirely too much on the task he was doing. 

"Since?" Levi asked; Mike's cheeks turning a very faint pink. 

"He's your boyfriend isn't he?" He asked and Levi scoffed with a chuckle. 

"Nah, we're just good friends." Levi grinned to himself. Mike seemed a little more interested in this topic than he should have been. 

"Oh sorry. People were talking, they said you were dating." Mike said. 

"Yeah, that's been going around since school started in September. We don’t actively deny it because it keeps annoying people away. Erwin's not really into Omega's just like I'm not into Alpha's. If people think we're dating then they don't usually try anything. That and they know I'll knock 'em out." Levi said and Mike laughed. 

"I believe you!" He said with a grin. "You're definitely not like other Omega's." 

"That bad?" Levi asked. 

"Definitely not!" Mike smiled. Levi gave a nod and a small smile. 

 

 

 

"Yeah yeah, Shitty glasses I'm on my way!" Levi grumbled into the phone, he had changed out of his uniform and was about to go spend the afternoon with his friends.  

He had been working at Café Rose for over a month now and he really enjoyed it; he got along well with his coworkers; who were mostly college kids or young adults, he liked having a purpose; somewhere that he was needed, and he liked making money. He gave most of his cheques to Kenny to help with expenses but he did keep a little for pocket money, this way Erwin wasn't buying everything for him as he had been doing before. 

"Big plans?" Mike asked, walking out of the bathroom with his own casual clothing on; his shift ended the same time as Levi's today. 

"Not really. Few of us are hanging out at the lake. You can come if you want?" Levi offered. 

"Yeah?" Mike asked with interest. 

"I mean my 13 year old cousin and some of her friends will be there, but so will Erwin. You guys are already friends aren’t you?" Levi asked. 

"Yeah. I think so anyway." Mike said. 

"I know he'd like for you to come." Levi said and Mike smiled. 

"Sure! It'll be fun. I can drive us there, just need to go get my shorts." He said and Levi grinned slightly before following Mike to the car. 

 

"About time you got here Shorty!!" Hange yelled as Levi began walking towards the pond's beach. He could see Mikasa and Petra already in the water, while Sasha and Connie were eating some of the snacks they brought, and Hange and Erwin were just sitting on their towels, waiting for Levi. Levi watched as Erwin's eyes landed on him then travelled behind him to the man following close behind. Erwin's eyes widened considerably and his face blanked; Levi couldn’t help but to chuckle quietly. 

"Hey, I brought Mike." He said simply and plopped down beside them. 

"Hey." Mike said almost shyly as he sat beside Erwin. 

"H-hi." Erwin stammered. 

"Erwin, why don't you let Mike borrow your sunscreen? It's hot as hell out today, wouldn't want a burn." Levi said as he applied his own sunscreen, getting an elbow in the rib from a grinning Hange. Levi just shrugged. Erwin scrambled to get his bottle of sunscreen, almost throwing it at Mike who just laughed softly before stripping off his t-shirt and rubbing it in. 

"Damn Mike, you work out or what?" Hange whistled while Erwin tried to cover his burning red face.  

"I do, yeah." He laughed awkwardly. 

"I should start doing that. I'm too skinny" Erwin said quietly. 

"Nah, you look great. Though if you want to try it out I can get you a free pass to my gym." Mike suggested.  

"T-that would be great. Thanks." Erwin smiled shyly at the older man. 

 

Levi watched the two interact for the afternoon, Erwin got increasingly comfortable around Mike until they were laughing and chatting like old friends. Seeing them made Levi think of his own Alpha; the one that for the past few months he had willed himself not to and had been doing a decent job with. He still thought about his beautiful green eyed Alpha daily but he refused to let himself dwell on him.  

It had been over a year since his mother died, since he had last seen Eren or anyone from his old life. He still missed them all terribly but his new life wasn't bad; he had great friends who cared for him and a somewhat unorthodox family who still treated him like their own.  

He's be fine even if he never saw his Alpha again..

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Please tell me what you think! You have no idea how happy comments make me!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> So I've gotten some pretty great comments on this fic. So I just wanted to say thank you! For the big descriptive comments and the simple one sentence comments; you guys are awesome and each of them make me so happy!  
> I'd love to have more but I won't be selfish lol.
> 
>  
> 
> I've been super busy lately and had almost no time to write so I would say about 80% of this was done between now and yesterday afternoon.  
> I proof read as I go but I didn't go through it after I was finished so I apologize for any errors.
> 
> Please Enjoy!
> 
> Edit: as I Recieved a comment about the Levi/Petra only being in the tag.   
> There is some Levi/Petra in this chapter. It is for development purposes only.   
> If you are against it proceed with caution

 

 

Levi kept working at Café Rose after the summer ended; cutting his hours to just two short shifts a week. He was fine with that, it gave him enough time to study and spend time with his friends while also giving him a little pocket money so he wouldn't have to ask Kenny. 

Mike went back to College in the Fall but he and Levi had really hit it off during the summer working together. They worked well together and had fun on their shared shifts; Levi even invited Mike out after work on countless occasions, which Mike happily accepted. 

While still shy, Erwin had become increasingly comfortable around Mike during the summer; he would never try to progress their relationship past simple friendship, but at least there was a friendship building. Levi, Hange, and even Petra and Mikasa who sometimes came out with them, tried to convince Erwin that Mike would not reject him but Erwin was stubborn. He was convinced that because he was an Alpha (and not even a very good one) that he had no chance with the older Alpha. 

Mike never seemed to mind the fact that Erwin was an Alpha; he treated Erwin the same as he treated the rest of them. If you paid attention you might even notice the soft smile Mike had when Erwin talked about the things he was passionate about, the light blush that would tint his cheeks when Erwin would compliment him at the gym.  

Mike had never mentioned his feelings toward Erwin; romantic or platonic, though Levi had a feeling they might be similar to Erwin's own. Especially when Mike would ask about Erwin if he hadn't seen him in a few days or bring him us casually in conversation. Levi wasn't much of a matchmaker; he tried his best not to just blurt out his friend's feelings for the older man and to hint that there might be something there but it seemed he was terrible at it. Or maybe Mike was as dense as Erwin in situations like these. 

 

As promised, Mike had gotten them each a free pass for a week at his gym; they had loved them and had gone nearly every day. Mike showed them around and taught them how to use the machines. Hange was more into the Cardio, but Erwin soaked in all the information on the weight machines he could. He was determined to shed his scrawny appearance and look like the buff, dominant Alpha he was supposed to be. Even Mike tried to convince Erwin that he looked fine; he wasn't scrawny, just a little skinny but Erwin was determined and Mike offered make a routine for him based on his own. 

 

Erwin bought a gym membership for himself and Levi when their free pass was up. Levi had tried to refuse but since he couldn't really afford one on his own and couldn't ask Kenny to spend that kind of money on him, Erwin insisted that he couldn't possibly go by himself and his parents had no issue paying for Levi's. Erwin's father even thought it was a great idea for a male Omega to build strength. 

They worked out with Mike during the summer; Mike wasn't knowledgeable with Omega Physiology but did help Levi with his form and a basic body training routine. For Erwin, however; he developed the same workout routine that he had used himself when he started and helped Erwin with it until he left for school again in the fall. 

Erwin followed Mike's workout plan faithfully, even after Mike left; Levi and Hange almost had to force him to take rest days. Since he had presented as an Alpha 2 years earlier his classmates had often looked down on him as though he were inferior because he was too skinny, too passive, he wasn't a true Alpha. While the gym couldn't help with his passiveness or unwillingness to dominate those around him but it was definitely working for his physique. His arms were filling out, his shoulders broader, his waist thicker. He was still a little on the thin side but it would only be a matter of time before he looked like a strong, confident Alpha.  

Levi had noticed a difference in himself as well; not as drastic as Erwin since Omega's had a much harder time building muscle mass than Alpha's, but he had developed a bit of definition in his muscles and had increased his strength substantially in the months he had been doing this. Maybe now overbearing Alpha's would take him more seriously when he told them to back off. He doubted it, but he was at least better able to push them away, plus with Erwin's increased size and intimidation level they didn't come around quite as much as before; Erwin was still technically his 'boyfriend' after all. 

 

 

 

 

"Hey guys, this is Moblit." Hange said pulling a mousey haired Beta to sit with them in the cafeteria. The Beta waved nervously as he sat beside Hange. 

"Hey Moblit." Erwin gave a friendly smile, they were in the same grade and had shared classes over the years. 

"Your Hange's science partner?" Petra asked and the boy nodded. "Nice to meet you." She said, smiling sweetly. 

"Moblit just asked me to graduation." Hange said happily. 

"Oh that's great!" Erwin said smiling at the shy Beta who was blushing but looked proud" 

"Yeah he finally asked me to go with him and I told him he might as well be my boyfriend. So we're dating now." Hange explained, her mouth full of food. 

Levi glanced over at Petra as Erwin spoke to the two Betas. Petra's cheek was resting on her hand as she looked down at her lunch, poking it with her fork.  

"Right Petra?" Hange asked, startling the young Beta out of her thoughts. 

"Hmm?" She asked, putting on a fake smile. 

"You're going to help me find a dress right? I don’t think I do it without you." Hange said with a big smile. 

"Of course. We can go shopping this weekend." Petra said happily. 

"Thanks babe, you're the best." Hange pulled her into a one arm hug before turning back to Moblit and Erwin. Petra went back to looking at her lunch, though she wasn't eating it, Levi watched her with sympathy. 

Levi had guessed when he first met Petra that she had a crush on the older girl. Being around the girl with their families got together though always spending time with Sasha; Hange had only ever seen her as her younger sister's friend. Since Petra had joined them in school and become part of the group, Hange now considered her a good friend but Petra's crush had only grown. Everyone could see how the small girl felt about Hange. Everyone but Hange herself. 

Levi gave Petra a soft smile when she glanced up at him, she blushed slightly and straightened up put a big sweet smile on her face, much like her usual demeanor though Levi could tell this time was almost completely fake as she listened intently to the conversation going on between her friends. Hange, cuddling into Moblit's arm. 

Poor Petra, being in love with an idiot. 

 

 

"Hey Levi?" Erwin asked as the two walked toward his car after school. Hange had gotten a ride with Moblit and Petra had opted to take the bus home. They felt bad for Petra but they couldn't be angry at Hange for it, she couldn’t spare Petra's feelings if she was oblivious to them and she did seem to be pretty excited about her newly established relationship. Levi and Erwin were happy for her, as neurotic as she was, she was still one of the best people Levi had ever met and she deserved to be happy.  

"Yeah?" Levi asked, throwing his bag into the backseat and climbing in the front. 

"I guess it's kind of silly to ask, or maybe I should have asked sooner. I guess I just kind of assumed but.. Will you go to grad with me?" Erwin asked shyly. Levi stared at the older Alpha for a moment before laughing. 

"Of course, dumbass." He said punching Erwin's shoulder. "I am your 'boyfriend' who else would you even go with?" He added, using air quotes. 

"Thanks Levi, you really are a great friend." Erwin said with a chuckle. 

"You're just realizing this now? Besides, you're going to need to return the favor next year. Hange and I can't graduate without you there" Levi said. 

"Not a problem." Erwin smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot. 

 

 

Levi made his way to Hange's front door, he had a great idea and he needed her help. 

"Hey Sasha, is Hange home?" Levi asked when the younger girl answered her door. No matter how often Hange told him to just walk in, Levi had never been comfortable in doing so.  

"Yeah, she's upstairs. HANGE!" Sasha shouted a little too close to Levi's ear as he stepped into the house. Levi cringed slightly, moving away from her for the sake of his hearing. He moved over to the living room while the two sisters screamed back and forth. 

 

"WHAAT?" 

"LEVI IS HERE" 

"SEND HIM UP" 

"I'M NOT YOUR SLAVE! GET HIM YOURSELF!" 

 

"What are you doing here?" Levi asked, surprised when he saw his cousin sitting on the couch, also cringing from the screaming match nearby. 

"We're working on a project" Mikasa said simply, a little annoyance in her voice.  

"How's that going?" Levi asked with a smirk, he knew that Sasha wasn't exactly Mikasa's favorite person. She was often annoyed and short tempered with the loud, perpetually hungry girl was around. 

"Hey Mika, want a snack while I'm up?" Sasha asked. 

"Sure, thanks." Mikasa said with a small smile and Sasha took off toward the kitchen. 

"Mika?" Levi grinned.  

"Shut up Shorty." Mikasa grumbled. Levi laughed lightly and headed upstairs. 

 

"Sup short stack?" Hange asked when Levi walking into her room. Levi rolled his eyes at the name. He knew he was short, he didn’t need everyone remining him so often. 

"I have an idea for Erwin's graduation date." Levi said 

"Aren't you Erwin's graduation date?" Hange raised a brow. 

"Only if my plan doesn't work. You have Mike on MSN don't you?" 

"I like where this is going!" Hange grinned and opened up the messenger  program. 

 

 

 

"Damn Alpha, that working out really paid off huh?" Levi said with a whistle as Erwin stepped out of the dressing room. Grad was next week and they were picking out their tuxedos for the event.  

"You do look very nice Erwin. I think you should choose that one." Petra said sweetly and Hange cat called beside her. 

"Thanks." Erwin blushed while grinning "I'll go with this one." He told the clerk. 

"Excellent choice. Okay I have a selection on the rack for Mr. Berner to try on. Is that all?" She asked as Moblit made his way to the dressing room. 

"I'm going to need one." Levi said, standing up, ready for measurements. The clerk looked taken aback. 

"A suit?" She asked. 

"Yes." Levi said flatly, eyes narrowing at her. 

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in the Omega section? There are some very nice gowns that would fit your petite stature beautifully." She suggested. Levi glared at her, his muted scent spiking with annoyance. 

"Do I look like I want to wear a dress?" He asked calmly yet his voice dripping with anger.  

"I- I just thought.." She stammered 

"Levi will be getting a tux as well. If you could please take his measurements and find one suitable." Erwin said, his voice soft yet commanding, like a true Alpha. Levi could tell he was uncomfortable with the situation but gave him an appreciative look. 

"Of course." She said and hurriedly took Levi's measurements. Levi ended up having to get one in the youth section but he managed to get one and he looked pretty good in it (youth rentals were cheaper anyway). 

 

"Petra, don’t we have the most gorgeous boys who all look damn fine in their suits?" Hange laughed as they left the store. She had her arm linked with Moblit, who looked perfectly happy to have the loud girl hanging off him. 

"We sure do." Petra laughed, eyes lingering on the couple a little longer than necessary. 

"Your tux is going to look so good with my dress Moby. Graduation is going to be awesome!" Hange laughed before leaning in and kissing Moblit after piling into Erwin's car. 

"I can’t wait." Moblit smiled, putting his arm around her. 

 

"Erwin, can you drop me off here?" Petra asked after a few moments of driving. 

"You're not coming to lunch?" Erwin asked surprised. 

"Nah, I'm not feeling very well." Petra said. 

"I can bring you home." Erwin offered. 

"I'd rather walk. Besides if I go up that path I'm pretty much home." Petra said as Erwin pulled over. 

"Hey, I'll walk you. Sorry guys, I forgot Aunt Kimi wanted my help with something, she lives next door so.." Levi said jumping out of the car after Petra and catching up to her. 

"You didn't have to walk with me." Petra said. Levi shrugged. 

"No big deal." He said. "I know why you're upset." He added softly a moment later. 

"I'm not upset!" Petra smiled brightly. 

"Hange doesn't really hold back when she's excited. She would if she knew how you felt but you know she's an idiot." Levi said, making Petra giggle and nod. 

 

"Do you want to come in? I can make us some lunch, since you skipped it for me." Petra offered when they made it to her house. 

"Sure." Levi smiled and followed her in. She busied herself in the kitchen, putting together some sandwiches. 

"Levi?" She asked suddenly. "Will you go out with me?" She added, almost making Levi choke on his sandwich. 

"What?" He croaked after taking a big gulp of water. 

"Go out with me. Like a date." She said with determination. 

"Why?" He asked dumbly. 

"Why not?" She asked. 

"You like Hange.." Levi stated. 

"Hange has a boyfriend. Besides, it's just a stupid crush. I'll get over it. You could help me with that, we get along really well, we look good together, I mean how often are you going to find someone who is actually shorter than you." Petra giggled as Levi glared at her. 

"Do you really want to go out with a Male Omega? People will make fun of you. I'm only worth being some Alpha's bitch in their eyes." Levi said.  

"Pfft. I don't care about them. I know that's not you. Beta's and Omega's date all the time, besides you barely act like an Omega!" Petra stated. 

"Do you actually like me or do you just not want to be alone?" Levi asked making Petra look away bashfully. 

"I don't dislike you. I think we could be good together and you don’t seem to be interested in anyone around." Petra explained. Levi stopped to think.  

No; he wasn't interested in anyone around here, he never looked at anyone and considered dating them, his first instinct was to push away anyone who ever showed the slightest interested. They weren't... 

"No, I'm not interested in anyone." Levi said quietly. 

"Maybe while you help me get over Hange I can help you stop thinking about whatever it is that makes you look so sad sometimes." Petra said gently. 

Levi looked at her with wide eyes, though her gentle smile was slightly blurred. He hadn’t noticed the unshed tears filling his eyes. He nodded, hastily wiping away the drop that had escaped. 

"Yeah, okay. Let's try it out. But can we keep it quiet until after next week. I'm still supposed to be Erwin's boyfriend for now." Levi said. 

"Sure." She said happily. "We can start by watching a movie if you want?" She asked. 

"That sounds nice." Levi said, following her to the living room. 

 

 

 

 

 

"Alright Brat, have a good time. Don’t let that damn Alpha take advantage of you." Kenny said, pulling up to Erwin's driveway. 

"Kenny, I told you Erwin and I are not involved. We just pretended to be to keep the 'damn alpha's' away. Besides, I'm dating Petra now." Levi said. 

"Petra? Who's Petra?" Kenny asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Mikasa's friend. The red head. She presented as a Beta a few months ago." Levi described. 

"Oh. Yeah she's pretty cute. How'd you manage to bag her?" Kenny smirked. 

"She asked me." Levi said as he got out and slammed the car door with a smirk on his face. Kenny rolled his eyes and lit another cigarette before driving away. 

 

 

"Levi! You look fantastic!" Erwin's dad exclaimed as he opened the door. 

"Thanks Mr. Smith." Levi said with a bashful smile as he was led into the house. 

"Levi, you look great!" Erwin said walking down the stairs towards them. He was wearing his tux and had his hair slicked back; he looked incredibly handsome. 

"You too." Levi said. 

"Alright boys, I need a picture of you two." Mr. Smith said holding up his camera. 

"Maybe I should stand on the step." Levi joked as the two moved closer together. Erwin had grown an extra couple inches in the last year, he seemed to tower over the Omega. 

"You two might have a little trouble dancing." Mrs. Smith laughed, coming into the room as her husband took the pictures. 

"I'm sure the dancing will be fine." Levi said slyly as the doorbell rang again; Hange and Moblit coming in.  

"Great, Everyone is here. Come on." Mr. Smith ushered them over quickly to stand for pictures. They took so many pictures; they had them individually, the three of them together, Hange and Moblit together, Erwin with his parents. They were sick of it by the time they were finished.  

 

"I'll get it!" Levi said when the doorbell rang once more, leaving a confused looking Erwin and excited Hange in the living room as he dashed to the door. 

"Am I late?" Mike asked when Levi opened the door. He was dressed in a tux, with his hair slicked back, his facial hair trimmed, and a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. 

"No, you're right on time." Levi smiled and led him in. 

"Hey Erwin. Hange and I got you a little graduation present." Levi said walking back toward the others. Erwin looked confused for a moment until his eyes moved from Levi to behind him; widening in shock. 

"Hi- um Hey Erwin. I was wondering if I could.. Be your date for graduation?" Mike asked nervously. 

"I-I. L-levi is my date.." Erwin stammered pointing dumbly at the smaller male. 

"No I'm not, Mike is your date. He came home for the weekend just for you." Levi explained. 

"R-really?" Erwin asked as Mike walked toward him and gave him the bouquet. He glanced around the room at everyone staring at them nervously before turning back to Erwin. 

"I really like you Erwin. I had no idea you felt the same until Levi and Hange planned this. I'd really like it if I could take you to Grad and maybe.. A date. When I get home for the summer?" Mike asked the last part quietly. Erwin nodded. 

"Yes! Yes that would be great." Erwin said smiling brightly and linking his arm with Mike's offered one. 

"But Levi, are you still coming?" He asked suddenly, finally snapping out of his haze. 

"Of course. I didn’t dish out the money for this damn suit if I wasn't going to wear it. Hange swung an extra ticket." Levi explained, making Erwin's smile brighten. 

"Great! Let's go then!" He said happily, holding out his arm for his other date. Levi took it with a chuckle and the five of them headed to the car. 

 

 

"You're quite the matchmaker." Hange said, joining Levi at the table where he was sitting after the night had slowed down a bit. He had taken part in the dancing and had a lot of fun with his friends, but when the music slowed he made his way off the dance floor. He was watching Erwin dancing with Mike, Erwin looked so happy as they slow danced; his head resting on Mike's shoulder. They didn’t look bad or out of place, it didn’t matter that they were both Alpha's, they just looked like two people who were happy to be in each other's arms.  

"It's easy when they're both madly in love with each other." Levi said, his eyes not leaving the two Alpha's; happy for them but sadness creeping into his thoughts. 

"True. I'm glad they finally got together. Now we got to get someone for you." Hange laughed, pushing his lightly. 

"Petra asked me out." Levi said simply. 

"What?? When did this happen? What did you say? Oh my god you two would be adorable together." Hange gushed. 

"Last week, when I walked her home. It's nothing big. We're taking it slow." Levi explained, looking over at Hange who was smiling widely. 

"That is so great. Petra is a great girl. Maybe she'll help you get over your old Alpha." Hange said gently. 

"Who says I'm not over him?" Levi defended. 

"No one! It's just, you haven't mentioned him since you first moved here but sometimes you get that look in your eye. I just want you to be happy." Hange said, pulling him into a side hug. 

"Thanks Hange." Levi said quietly. 

 

 

 

 

This summer was a busy one; Levi was still working at Café Rose; upping his summer hours to whatever they would give him. Erwin's mother gave him a part time job in her office; luckily it was nearby so he always stopped in during lunch or afterwards. His free time was mostly spent with Mike; Levi couldn’t blame him, he had finally gotten the man he had been pining over for years. Hange spent most of her time with Moblit; also hanging out at the café occasionally to visit Levi but she was otherwise scarce. Moblit was leaving for University in the fall (it was a small town, if you wanted to go to college you had to leave); she was spending as much time as possible with him until then. 

Levi wasn't alone; he had Petra. While he did miss spending time with his best friends, she was very good company. They took their relationship incredibly slow; they would just go for walks, or watch movies in her Living room. They often spent time with Mikasa as well; she was weirded out by her best friend and cousin dating but she got over it pretty quickly. 

 

 

"Hey Bert." Levi said as he flopped down on Petra's couch. Berthold was new in town; his family had moved in down the street. He was Levi's age and Petra and Mikasa had taken a liking to him so they spent a lot of time together over the summer. He was awkward, shy, and a little sweaty all the time. He was an Alpha, but like Erwin, didn’t really act like one. He was alright though, Levi had no problem spending time with him. 

"Hey Levi." Bert gave a shy wave. He was getting comfortable around Levi, though Levi's resting bitch face still seemed to make him nervous. "The girls are upstairs." He added. 

"Okay." Levi said, taking the other controller to the system Bert was playing and joining him in game. 

 

"Hey, we were thinking about going to a movie." Mikasa announced as they made their way downstairs, Petra sliding up next to Levi on the couch while Mikasa flopped down in the chair. 

"Sure." Levi shrugged, looking over at Bert. 

"Y-yeah. Okay." He said nodding.  

"Great, I’ll ask Mom to drive us." Mikasa said. 

 

They made their way to the theatre, getting tickets, snacks and finding seats. Petra seemed over affectionate today. Grabbing Levi's hand, standing very close to him, and cuddling into him when the lights dimmed. Levi didn’t really think much of it; he just watched the movie, putting his arm around his girlfriend.  

Petra was fidgety; moving around to get comfortable, drawing circles on Levi's leg with her finger, it wasn't until she leaned up and starting give him small butterfly kisses on his jaw that he really took notice. He turned in his seat to face her. 

"What's going on?" He whispered. 

"Nothing." She shrugged, smiling playfully. 

"I thought you wanted to watch the movie." Levi said. 

"I dunno, it's kind of boring, isn’t it?" She said. He just raised a brow at him. 

"Come on Levi, we've been dating for like 2 months and you haven't even kissed me yet." She pouted. Levi was shocked; what she said was true, they hadn't kissed yet, but he thought they were just taking it slow. He thought she was fine with the way things were going. 

"I-I thought we were going slow?" He stammered. 

"Yeah slow, not stationary." Petra said, crossing her arms. 

"O-oh. Yeah. Okay. C-can we wait until we're.. Alone?" Levi asked. Petra sighed but smiled. 

"Okay." She nodded, turning back to the movie. Levi turned back as well, it took him a moment, and a deep breath but he reached over again and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him with ease, lacing their fingers together. Levi turned toward her and tilted her shin up with his finger, staring into her big brown eyes for a moment. She was very beautiful; she was cute, funny, and Levi really enjoyed spending time with her, he just hadn’t even considered progressing their relationship yet. He was comfortable with what they had. But comfortable wasn't what she wanted, and he did really like her... 

He stared into her confused eyes for a few seconds more before he leaned down and pressed his lips gently against hers. It only took her a second to realize what he was doing before she pressed her own lips back. It was a simple kiss, no movement or intensity, just a simple press of lips with a promise of later. When they pulled apart Petra smiled at him before laying her head against his chest and focusing back on the movie. 

 

 

 

Levi started his senior year. Erwin had left for University, the same as Mike and Moblit. Mike attended a different school in a different city than Erwin but they were closer to each other than this town was so they were able to make it work easily. Erwin and Moblit ended up being roommates so Hange and Levi easily kept in contact through video messaging.  

They lost Erwin as part of their group in school, but they did manage to gain a few others. Berthold, who transferred in and shared most of his classes with them, as well as Mikasa, Sasha, and Connie were in High School this year. Hange was not overly happy inviting her little sister into their group, though they surprisingly didn’t fight with each other much when the group was together. 

 

 

 

Senior year was as good as any; Levi worked hard with his school work and his job at Café Rose. He was trying to save as much money as he could since there was no way Kenny would be able to afford sending him to College. His grades were good, probably good enough for scholarships; though Omega's usually had to be pretty phenomenal to be considered for scholarships, schools just assumed they were there until they found a mate and left to have babies. At least that's what Kenny said. His grades were great, but they weren't child prodigy great. He figured he's have to stay back a year or two before going to college. 

He spent a lot of his time with Petra; they were still taking their relationship fairly slow but definitely not at the standstill pace he had been doing in the beginning. Levi knew he wasn't the love of Petra's live just like she wasn't his but they were having fun together and that's all that mattered for a simple high school romance, wasn't it?  

 

She seemed to be over Hange, except for the rare occasion when her eyes would linger a little too long on the older girl or she would close up a little when Hange would ramble on about her college boyfriend. Levi didn't take it personally, he knew she was in love with Hange before they had started dating and he also knew how hard it was to convince yourself not to love that person anymore. 

 

Petra was much more forward than Levi was. Maybe it was the Omega in him; never taking charge of the situations, especially intimate ones. He did manage to keep up when he needed to, even when they were watching a movie and Petra would just swing her leg over his lap and start making out with him. 

Kissing was nice. He enjoyed kissing, even when it got sloppy. He liked how Petra's hands would tangle in his hair, or scratch at the short hairs on his neck. She [and Hange] had loved his new hair cut when he finally chopped off the shaggy mess. Between the two of them there was always someone playing at the soft scratchy area. He would never admit it out loud but he actually enjoyed the feel of it. 

 

It had taken him a while to get used to their make out sessions, but he had finally become comfortable enough that he didn’t even hesitate when she crawled on his lap; he pulled her close, hands moving under her shirt but only along the skin of her lower back and sides, and mouth moving against her own. 

There was something different about her today; she seemed a little more aggressive than normal, holding on to him a little tighter, moving her hips a little more intentionally. 

"Hey, what's going on?" Levi cooed when she moved to his neck, sucking on a patch of skin just above his scent gland. She knew not to get too close so Levi allowed it. 

"Nothing, you just smell really good." Petra said, moving to the side of his jaw. 

"Why don’t you have heats? All the Omega's at school go into heat every few months, they take time off school. You haven't had one since I've known you." Petra asked, sitting up straight and looking into his eyes. 

"I'm on suppressants." Levi said simply. 

"So are the other Omegas. They still get heats." Petra said. 

"I'm on stronger ones I guess. Adult ones. I'm not sure, Kenny gets them for me and I just don’t have heats. I'm definitely not complaining. Heats are horrible." Lev explained. 

"So do you not feel anything?" She asked, her voice low, her eyes suggestive as she rolled her hips on his. Levi's eyes widened, he had not been expecting this. 

"I-I. I guess I do." He stammered. 

"You know, we've been dating over a year and we've never done anything more than kiss." She said. She wasn't wrong; even during graduation when everyone around them was talking about having sex that night. Hange and Moblit even took their relationship to the next level that night, but Levi had dropped Petra off at her house like a gentleman and went home 

"W-what's wrong with that?" Levi asked nervously. 

"I was just thinking it could be fun to.." Petra said, trailing her hand down towards his pants. 

"Y-you're still in high school. Is that really the best time?" Levi asked, hissing when she cupped his groin, he wasn't aroused, but he was still very sensitive. 

"What does that matter? Lots of people are doing it in high school. Besides I'm going to grade 12 and you're finished, it’s not like we’re children." Petra said. 

"Yeah and isn't there a pregnant Omega girl in your class? What if you got pregnant?" Levi panicked as Petra gently rubbed him. She giggled. 

"Can you even get me pregnant? I thought Male Omegas could only carry babies. And being a female Beta I can't get you pregnant either." She explained. She was right, pregnancy between the two of them was not an issue, they were both virgins as far as he knew so diseases weren't an issue either, but he was still panicking. 

"I'd probably be horrible. Male Omegas are super sensitive, I probably wouldn't last long enough for anything, plus they’re really small, you probably wouldn't even feel it." He rambled and she just laughed. 

"Levi, calm down." She said gently, moving her hand back up to his shoulder. "I was just suggesting, if you're not ready then we don't have to do anything." She added, smiling sweetly at him. The girl was quite the contradiction; she was a sweet as can be with the face of an angel but she knew how to take control and get what she wanted. 

"Are you sure?" He whispered. 

"Of course Levi! I'd never force you!" Petra said, cupping his face in her hands. "I know you never make the first move, I was just testing it out to see how you felt." She explained. 

"I'm sorry." Levi said so quietly she almost didn't hear it. 

"Don’t be." She assured. 

"Maybe you should have a boyfriend who can give you what you want." He said, not meeting her eyes. 

"Levi, what are you talking about?" Petra asked. 

"You're amazing Petra, you're so kind and sweet and patient. I really like you and I enjoy spending time with you but I don’t think I'm a good boyfriend for you." Levi said quietly. Petra didn’t speak, she just looked down at her hands. Levi had a feeling that she knew he was right. 

"You deserve someone who will sweep you off your feet, not someone who can't get over a crush he developed when he was 8 years old." Levi added sadly. 

"I know it's not working. I've known for a while. It was just so comfortable, you know." Petra said with a sad smile. Levi nodded, giving a light chuckle. 

"I guess we should have never tried to be more than friends." She added. 

"I wouldn’t say that. We had a lot of fun together, and the kissing was nice." Levi smiled and she giggled. 

"You're right. But if we break up will we stop being friends?" She asked. 

"Definitely not!" He said and he meant it. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. 

"Good." She said. "I hope one day you find someone to sweep you of your feet, make you forget about that other person once and for all." She added with a smile. He nodded with a sad smile.  

 

 

"Levi what's up?" Erwin asked when Levi showed up to his house; he had called both Erwin and Hange earlier telling them it was important he speak to them. 

"Are you okay?" Hange asked looking worried. 

"I need to go somewhere. Can you come with me?" Levi asked. 

"Of course, where do you need to go?" Erwin asked without hesitation. 

"I need to go home." Levi said simply. The two looked at him in surprised confusion but didn't question it. They just packed a bag of essentials, said goodbye to their boyfriends and got into Erwin's car with Levi. 

 

 

Levi didn't say much about the trip on the 5 hour drive to his old town. He did tell them what happened to with Petra and they talked about everything else imaginable. It was actually a very nice trip considering they hadn’t been spending much time alone, just the three of them. As much as he liked Moblit and Mike, it was nice to have his best friends to himself again for a little while. 

 

 

 

"Hi Mom." He said quietly as he stood in front of his mother's tombstone, Erwin and Hange standing a few feet behind. "I'm sorry it took 4 years to come visit you." He added. 

He began to tell his mother about his life; about how Kenny wasn't actually that bad and living with him had been pretty good, about Mikasa and her family; how they treated him like he was one of their own. He introduced Hange and Erwin, who sat beside him and joined into the conversation, filling in the gaps where Levi refused to boast about himself. 

 

"That was really nice Levi, I'm glad we came here." Erwin said as they walked back to the car. 

"Yeah thanks for bringing me, it was long overdue. I feel a little better talking to her." Levi said. 

"Maybe we can come again, sometime soon. Make it a regular thing?" Hange suggested. Levi nodded, giving her a smile. 

"How about we go get something to eat then drive to a hotel for the night?" Erwin suggested. 

"Yeah, I just need to make one more stop first, if that's okay?" Levi said. 

"Of course!" Hange said and they got into the car again, following Levi's directions towards the nice part of town. 

As he headed up the walkway, he had no idea what he was going to say. His heart raced in his chest at the thought of seeing the people behind that door. Would they be happy to see him? Would they hug him and tell them they missed him? Or had they just forgotten about him? Had they not contacted him all this time for a reason? Because they were glad to be rid of him? Either way, he had to know. He had come this far, he couldn’t leave with some sort of answer. He took a deep breath before stepping up and knocking on the familiar door. 

He waited a moment before the door swung open, but it wasn't who he was expecting. It was a tall older man with white hair, a white beard and glasses. He looked down at Levi with curiosity. 

"O-oh. I'm sorry sir, I must have the wrong address. Does Dr. Jaegar and his family live around here?" Levi asked. 

"I don’t believe there are any Jaegars in this area." The man said as an older woman walked up beside him. 

"Who is it you're looking for dear? Where do they live?" She asked kindly. 

"Um.. Grisha and Carla Jaegar. I-I thought they lived here." Levi stammered. 

"Jaegar. Isn't that the name of the family who sold us this house?" She asked her husband. 

"Hmm. I believe you may be right. They moved out of here over 3 years ago." The man said. 

"Do you know where they went?" Levi asked, his chest tightening. 

"No I'm sorry, we just bought the house. Out of town I think." He said. Levi nodded, muttering some kind of thanks before turning to go. 

"How did it go? Did you find who you were looking for?" Hange asked as Levi fell into the back seat, curling his knees up to his chest and shaking his head. Tears that had been threatening to fall since the stranger opened the door began to pour from his eyes. 

"Levi!" Hange cried as the two hurried to the back seat; Hange pulling him into her arms and Erwin holding them both against his chest as Levi's body trembled with sobs. His chest ached at the thought that he had no idea where his Alpha was and he was never going to see him again. 

 

"He's gone. I don’t know where he is."  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Please Tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I may have gotten a little carried away with Levi's backstory in this fic but I fell like it's important for development and I did tag as a slow build,  
>  I'm trying to to rush through it as I've done before so please bear with me!  
> Also read the tags! I update as they happen (Because I don't always know something will happen until it does) Apparently that can be an issue for some and I don't want to upset anyone.
> 
> I've gotten mostly good comments so I assume you don't mind too much.  
> (Thank you by the way, your amazing comments make me insanely happy and I love you for it!)
> 
> The story is on track I promise and please enjoy!!

* * *

 

Levi didn't speak of what happened on that trip. Even when Hange and Erwin gently brought up the subject, he acted as though nothing out of the ordinary happened. They went to his old hometown and had a nice quite visit with his mother. He refused to admit or draw attention to the fact that he had had a complete breakdown over Eren and his family moving away, or that he had no idea where they were or how to contact them.

He hadn’t known how to contact him anyway. It had taken him months but Levi had finally worked up the courage to call Eren, but the number hadn't worked. It had been disconnected. Maybe he had it wrong. Or maybe they changed it so that he couldn’t contact them, the same as they hadn’t contacted him. They couldn't have wanted him like he thought they did, Eren couldn't have wanted him. 

Now Eren didn't even live there. Levi had no idea where he was and no way to find out. He had to stop thinking about him. He had been doing well to forget about his Alpha the last few years. He would suppress any thoughts of the beautiful boy and they would slip less and less. 

Breaking up with Petra had made him slip. He knew he wasn't in love with her and he just wanted to remember the closest feeling he had had to love. It was childish though. What he and Eren had had just been two children who liked to be around each other. They hadn’t known what love was. He refused to let himself dwell on it. 

Instead he threw himself into his regular routine; working and spending free time with his friends. He and Petra fell back into their friendship as though they had never dated. Their dating had barely been more than friends to begin with; it had been nice but they seemed perfectly content just being part of their group of friends. 

"Leeeevvvviiiiiii!!" Hange whined flopping down on Levi's bed beside him.

"Fuck off Shitty Glasses. I'm not going." Levi said, he was lying in bed, his head was pounding, his nose red, and his throat raw.

"Who gets sick during the summer?" Hange pouted.

"I do apparently. I'm not going to a party. I'm staying home, in bed, with my tea and my Shark Week." Levi said as determined as he could without proper pitch in his voice.

"I can’t go by myself!" Hange said overdramatically.

"Why can’t you take Erwin? Or your  _Boyfriend_?" Levi croaked before turning away to cough violently.

"They're boring at parties." Hange whined again.

"Well I'll be dead at this party." He rolled his eyes. "Take Petra, she loves parties." He added making Hange stop to think. Hange and Petra got along very well though other than the time the younger girl helped her pick out a grad dress they didn’t spend much time together without the others.

"I guess that's not a bad idea." She said.

"Yes. Take Petra. Leave me alone to die. Please." Levi said rolling over as a harsh cough ripped through his chest.

"How is that going by the way? You and Petra." Hange asked.

"It's good. We're fine. Everything is back to normal." Levi said, facing her again.

"Really? That's good. Too bad you two never worked out. You were very cute together." She said.

"Nah. It was never supposed to. I was just helping her get over someone. Now please, Hange, I beg you. Leave me alone!" Levi groaned, throwing the blanket over his head.

"Really?!? Who?" Hange asked; eyes wide with curiosity.

"Hange!" Levi whined pitifully. 

"Fine fine. Get better soon short stack." She laughed before ruffling his head over the blanket and getting up to leave, leaving Levi alone to sleep through his terrible cold.

It ended up being one of those colds that just lingered. Levi went back to work after a couple days but he still felt achy and pretty terrible for a while. He didn't let it stop him, he still worked as much as he could, almost to an unhealthy level but it helped to keep his mind off things; the fact that his best friends were leaving him, the fact that he wasn't going to school this year, other thoughts he refused to let his mind fully develop.

He spent some time with his friends though Erwin and Mike were busy apartment hunting in the city and Hange was busy preparing for her first year of University. She was hoping to get into the Science Faculty quickly so she had much preparation to do even before beginning her first year. 

Levi spent a lot of his evenings either lazing around by himself at home or going to Mikasa's house and doing the same thing with her. Time seemed to get away from him because before he knew it he was the end of August and he was loading up Kenny's car with things belonging to Erwin or Mike and making the two-hour drive to city. Erwin rode with him of course, they had a great time on the mini road trip but it was a little bitter sweet since Erwin was leaving him for another year.

"Alright, last box!" Mike said proudly, setting down the box on the kitchen table. "We are finally moved in!" He said with a smile as he pulled Erwin into himself and leaning in for a kiss.

"Ahem." Mr. Smith said, walking into the room with a handful of things to be put away. 

"Yeah guys cool it with the public display will ya?" Levi faked a grimace making Erwin chuckle. 

"Sorry." He said sheepishly.

"I sure hope moving in with your boyfriend doesn’t affect your grades." Mr. Smith said with a warning tone and eying Mike who nearly cowered under the Omega's gaze.

"Of course not Dad. School is still very important to me." Erwin insisted.

"Yeah, if anything, living together will make him focus even better. He won’t be counting the days until the next time Mike visits or staying up late to video chat." Levi offered, trying to help. Erwin's parents, while accepting of their son's relationship with another Alpha were a little nervous about them moving in together, especially in Erwin's second year of school.

"You make a good point Levi, too bad you're not moving in as well. You could keep an eye on them for me." Mr. Smith said with a soft smile.

"Nah, I'm just going to stay home and work this year. Maybe go to college next year." Levi said, opening up one of the boxes as a thin cloud of dust caught him by surprise and giving him a small coughing fit.

"You're still coughing? Weren't you sick like a month ago?" Erwin asked, patting Levi's back gently when his fit turned harsh.

"It's not bad, just a lingering irritation. I'm not sick anymore." Levi waved him off, taking a drink of water. Thankfully his answer seemed to sate the three men around him.

"You can move in you know Levi. We'd love to have you." Mike offered.

"Thanks but I think staying home and saving money for a while might be my best option. Besides, you don’t want someone in your way when you first move in together." Levi said with a smirk, causing Erwin to blush a little.

"We really don’t mind." He said. 

"Yeah, if you ever change your mind you're always welcome." Mike smiled. 

Levi helped them unpack and stayed for an extra couple a days, opting to sleep on the couch; giving Mr. Smith the spare bed, before heading home. Living with them probably wouldn't be that bad; the apartment was nice, the city was nice, and he probably wouldn't have much trouble getting a job. At least not one in a coffee shop; he knew how to do that one, he was good at it, and they were everywhere around here. 

He didn't want to impose. Erwin and Mike were living together for the first time, Erwin was in University, Mike was starting a new job, they needed their privacy. Levi didn't want to be the needy, deadbeat friend that held them back from doing what they wanted.

Maybe in a couple years he'd come out here, maybe he'd save up enough money to go to some shitty college around here. He looked around, admiring the tall buildings and the decorative trees and statues as he stopped at a red light, he could imagine himself living here, walking down the busy streets or reading a book on a bench on a nice day like the woman that had caught his eye.  She had long brown hair that moved gently in the breeze; the bench she was sitting on with surrounded by flowers in a small alcove beside a building. It was a beautiful scene and he found himself getting lost in the scene as the horn behind him impatiently reminded him that his light had turned green.

The woman looked up suddenly at the noise just as Levi turned away to put his car in gear and drive off. He thought he saw her stand up from the corner of his eye but he was already through the intersection and heading towards the on ramp and back home.

Two years passed and Levi barely noticed. 

 

Petra had started dating a Beta in her class named Oluo during her senior year; they dated long enough to go to grad together and spent the summer together before breaking up and going to different colleges. She moved into an apartment with Hange instead of staying in the dorms; the two had gotten much closer in the process and with Hange's recent break up with Moblit the two were almost inseparable when Hange wasn't buried in her studies. 

 Erwin and Mike's relationship was as strong as ever. Mike was doing well in his job and Erwin was maintaining his nearly perfect grade point average while still being the most ridiculously happy couple you could meet. They had their share of discrimination and unfavourable comments from people around them for their unorthodox relationship dynamic but they refused to let it get them down.

They came home for holidays and an occasional long weekend but that was it. Mike had a job in the city, he couldn’t take much time off and Erwin was taking summer courses so he could graduate a little earlier and begin working for his Mother's company. She had promised him a position in the city branch; he wouldn't have to leave Mike in order to go to work, they could stay in their little apartment together indefinitely.

Mikasa was still around and she invited Levi over nearly every day. She was very protective of those she loved and she seemed to be a little concerned over Levi. He didn’t feel as though there was need for concern but he gave in more often than not. Kimi often invited Levi and Kenny for supper, since both of them worked during the day and neither bothered cooking much afterward. Kenny was never a great cook but Levi couldn’t complain; the man had been taking care of him for the last 6 years, taught him some important life skills, and let him stay living with him rent free after graduating high school. 

Levi and Kenny didn’t spend a lot of time together, but Kenny had been including him on poker night for years and had started taking him along to bars since he was legal age. Levi wasn't a big drinker but he had gotten quite good at pool.

"Hi Levi, how was work?" Shawn asked as Levi walked up the driveway wearing his Café Rose manager uniform. He had been promoted the year before, it wasn't much different; a little more responsibility, a little higher pay. Overall it was pretty good, sometimes a new employee would be a little miffed they had to take orders from an Omega but Levi knew how to handle himself; his glare alone could make nearly any Alpha back away.

"It was alright. Car trouble?" Levi asked, Shawn was looking under the hood of the car, grease over his hands.

"Nah, just checking the oil." Shawn said pulling out the rod and wiping it off with a tissue. "You ever learn how to change a car oil?" He asked, dipping the rod back in to check the level.

"I do live with Kenny." Levi said, trying not to let the image of two little boys standing together while one's father showed them how to read the dipstick and drain the pan. 

"Of course." Shawn chuckled. Levi gave him a small smile and a wave as he headed inside. He said Hi to Kimi before heading down to the basement where Mikasa spent most of her time.

"Hey." He said as he flopped down into his favourite chair. Mikasa, Sasha, and Connie were sitting on the couch watching a movie. "Don't you ever go outside?" Levi asked.

"Do you?" Mikasa raised a brow. Levi shrugged and turned to the movie and cuddling down into his chair, unwinding from his work day and enjoying the chit chat from the three friends until Sasha had to go home for supper, Connie tagging along behind.

"You seem to spend a lot of time with those two lately." Levi stated. Mikasa shrugged.

"They're alright." She said.

"Just alright?" Levi smirked suggestively, Mikasa glared at him. "I'm just saying, Connie is pretty cute for an Omega." He added.

"Then why don't you date him?" Mikasa snapped. Levi laughed lightly but stopped pestering the Alpha. Kimi was calling them for supper anyway.

Levi was 21.

And what had he done with his life? He worked in a café, had no more than a high school education, and still lived in this tiny town that would lead nowhere. While he was going nowhere with his life, Hange was already working on her Masters in Biology, Erwin would be graduating his business school this year and heading to a great job.

Levi felt lost. He felt like he was standing still while everyone moved around him. Even Mikasa and her friends were graduating this year; already making plans to move to the city and continue their educations. Soon he'd be here completely alone..

"Levi, there's more in the kitchen." Kimi said, drawing him out of his thoughts. He had been getting lost in them more and more lately. Even now while they were all sitting together for Christmas dinner.

"No thanks Aunt Kimi, I'm full. It was delicious" Levi said giving her a smile.

"Levi you're wasting away to practically nothing. That can't be easy on your heat. Believe me, it turns into a vicious cycle. You have to get strong before they happen or you'll never recover properly. Especially without a mate." She explained, her eyes laced with worry.

"I don't have heats. I'm fine." Levi tried to give a reassuring smile.

"You don't?" She asked in surprise. "Have you ever had one?" She added.

"Yeah, I two when I was 14. I've been taking suppressants ever since and I don't get them anymore." Levi explained and Kimi looked distressed; her scent even flared up slightly with it and a hint of anger. Levi found this odd; of all the omegas Levi had ever met, Kimi definitely had the most control over her scent. It calmed down again when Shawn put his arm around her shoulder but she glared in Kenny's direction.

"You know what, Maybe I will have seconds." Levi said, trying to ease some tension or at least get away from it. He may not be a typical Omega but he was still sometimes adversely affect by certain situations and knew when he should leave.

"Yeah, me too." Mikasa said awkwardly and quickly followed Levi to the kitchen.

"Mom is pissed." She whispered. Levi nodded and the two quietly stood by the door, trying to listen to the hushed conversation happening in the dining room.

"You have him on what?!" Kimi's hushed voice cried in anger.

"Oh come on he's fine." Kenny's gruff voice followed.

"You can't give a newly developed Omega those suppressants. Most adults don’t even use those! Omegas who have lost their Alpha's use them when they don't want heat without them! How did you even get them?!" Kimi demanded, not even trying to whisper anymore.

"They're not that bad! They just stop heats. I figured his life would be a lot easier if he didn't have to worry about them." Kenny shrugged.

"You mean your life would be easier." Kimi spat.

"Ken, you have to get him checked out." Shawn said, he was much more composed than Kimi but his voice did carry a bit of worry.

"He's 21, I can’t make him do anything." Kenny said cooly

"What if he can't..." Kimi's voice trailed off as Levi moved from the door and out of earshot.

"I'm going to Hange's. She's only home for a week, I said I'd visit after dinner." He said.

"Yeah, wait up, I'll come with you." Mikasa said, grabbing her coat and following behind him.

"So.. Um.." Mikasa began.

"I don’t want to talk about it." Levi said abruptly.

"You can though." Mikasa said gently.

"What's done is done. Besides, Kenny was right, I'm better off without heats. It makes life as a Male Omega a lot easier." Levi said, quickening his pace.

"Okay" Mikasa said, keeping pace easily.

They joined Hange's family at the dinner table as they were still eating but were more than happy to invite them. 

Hange babbled excitedly about school and what she was doing there. Levi enjoyed every moment of it, he had missed her dearly and listening to her rambling made him feel like nothing had changed. He took a glance over at Mikasa who was sitting beside Sasha who was devouring her plate; mouth currently full of mashed potatoes and Mikasa was.. Smiling? Mikasa was actually looking at the girl with a soft smile on her lips, giggling lightly when Sasha would say something.

Well that was new...

Mikasa seemed to have become much more tolerant of Sasha but the smile, the giggles, the blush? It seemed her feeling had grown for the Beta more than Levi had comprehended.

"How are you? Really?" Hange asked when they went up to her room after dinner. Her excited ramblings calmed down to gentle concern.

"I'm fine!" Levi insisted but she didn't seem to buy it.

"You don’t seem fine. Not on the video and especially not in person." She said.

"What do I seem like?" Levi asked dismissively.

"Like you're just existing." Hange said. "We're really worried about you. Erwin keeps saying you should move in with them. You can move in with us if you’d rather. You can share a room with me, or Petra and I can share. Whatever you want, we just miss you so much." Hange said, taking his hand in hers. Levi thought about it for a while; if he didn't leave now he might never and his life would be wasted.

"It would probably make more sense to move in with Erwin since their second room is already empty" Levi said quietly and before he could comprehend what was happening he was being smushed into Hange's chest.

"You'll come? I'm so happy! Erwin will be so happy!" She cried and Levi found himself hugging her back. He missed them more than he would ever let himself admit, maybe being with Hange and Erwin again would bring some meaning back to his everyday routine.

Levi decided to wait until the Summer before he moved; Erwin had two weeks between finishing school and beginning his job and Hange had just finished her finals for the semester. They both came to help him pack and move; having more fun than he had had in years while doing so.

"Aww, look at the stuffed horse." Hange laughed picking up the old, worn toy. "Can't forget Levi's bed buddy." She teased tossing it to Erwin.

"It's well worn. Must be a favorite." He laughed. Levi didn't smile, or laugh at the teasing. Though it was innocent on their part; Hange and Erwin would never do anything to actually hurt him but the horse was a tender spot for him. He grabbed it out of Erwin's grasp, hugging it close to him as he had done for years. Erwin and Hange looked surprised.

"I'm sorry Levi, I didn't realize.." Erwin began with worry.

"Yeah we were just joking." Hange added.

"It's fine I just... don't want to talk about the horse." He said and the two nodded. Levi put a reassuring smile on his face and tossed a pillow at them; hitting Hange in the face, causing them to laugh and continue their day as they had been. When they were finished it was time to say goodbye. 

"Be careful." Mikasa said giving Levi a tight hug.

"Don’t worry about me. Besides you'll be coming up in September, you can be overprotective of me all you want as long as it doesn't affect your studies." Levi chuckled.

"Just because you don't need an Alpha to protect you doesn’t mean I can't do it anyway." Mikasa said with the Ackerman glare, though a small smile showing through as Levi rolled his eyes. He turned to his Uncle Shawn who shook his hand and wished him good luck before eyes landing on Kenny.

"Be careful out there Brat." Kenny said, looking disinterested but the light punch on his shoulder told Levi otherwise.

"Thanks for everything Uncle Kenny. Taking me in and stuff." Levi said almost bashfully and making Kenny visibly uncomfortable.

"What are you getting on with now? You're moving away not dying." He growled and Levi just smiled at him before turning to Aunt Kimi who help her arms out for him.

"You better come back every holiday." She demanded pulling him into a hug. For a petite Omega woman, she sure gave strong hugs. Levi nodded with a soft smile.

"They have good a good hospital in the city with a great Omega department. Please go." She begged quietly, looking into his eyes, her own getting misty.

"I'm fine Aunt Kimi, really." Levi said gently, she had been on about this since Christmas.

"Levi Please!" She cried softly, Levi hung his head sadly. He hated to upset her but he couldn't bring himself to do what she asked.

"You're going to have to go somewhere for a new suppressant prescription anyway. I can’t get them for you anymore Kid." Kenny said.

"What?" Levi's eyes widened, he barely had 2 months left of his suppressants and there was no way he'd get a doctor to prescribe the same ones. He had gone this long without and Heat affects, he couldn't start them now.

"Sorry Kid but you're grown up now and moving away. I can’t be supplying your damn pills." Kenny said harshly but Kimi looked at him with a smile.

" I can come with you, you get settled into your new apartment and I'll drive out and go with you." Kimi said, pulling him into another hug. Levi nodded in a daze, how was he going to manage this? He was already imposing on Erwin and Mike's life together, now he was going to stink up the place with his heat..

Levi settled into life with Erwin and Mike easily. Hange was over almost constantly when she wasn't studying or in class and he spent his evenings with Erwin and Mike; usually cooking some kind of meal for when they got off work. He was there a few weeks with no luck of finding a job; he had no experience other than in a coffee shop and the ones around seemed hesitant to hire omegas, especially with so many college age Alpha's around.

"Hey Levi, I have great news!" Erwin said coming out of his room. Levi looked up from the book he was reading on the couch.

"My mom made some calls and she got you a job." Erwin said smiling widely. Levi perked up with interest.

"What? Where?" He asked.

"It's nothing glamorous, you'll just be going around to different buildings and emptying the recycle paper bins, but it's decent pay and health benefits!" Erwin exclaimed.

"How did she do it?" Levi asked in slight shock.

"They're a contract company she's dealt with for years. She personally recommended you. You start next week, if you want it" Erwin said happily.

"I- yes! I'll have to call her and say thank you." Levi said, still astonished and mildly shocked. You'd think he'd be used to people doing things for him by now, Erwin and his family especially had always helped him whenever they could but it still baffled him..

"And you've been taking these since you were 14 years old?" The doctor asked as Levi sat in the office with Kimi holding his hand tightly. He nodded.

"A few weeks after his second heat." Kimi supplied.

"Why did you begin taking such a strong medication?" He asked.

"Kenny offered to me. I didn't want to have Heat anymore so I took them." Levi said simply.

"I'm sure no young Omega wants to go through heat, especially without a mate but it's part of life." The doctor said almost condescendingly. 

"He had just lost his mother and moved to a new place, I'm sure it was all overwhelming for him." Kimi added.

"We'll need to run some tests and I would recommend stopping suppressants altogether for a while." The doctor said and Levi sat up with wide eyes.

"I can’t do that! I just started a new job, I can't take time off for heat!" He panicked.

"It's possible that you won't be having heats anymore as it is." The doctor said, making Kimi gasp.

"I can't take that chance. Not right now. I mean, the damage is done now isn't it? What could more suppressants do to me?" Levi pleaded. The doctor gave him a look and promised further discussion after the testing.

They left the hospital a couple hours later; Kimi with red rimmed eyes and Levi with a new prescription that was more commonly used; it wasn't as strong as he was used to but it was the strongest the doctor would prescribe for the tiny Omega.

Levi's new suppressants worked as he needed them to; his scent was a little stronger but they managed to still keep it muted compared to those around him and they managed to suppress his heat. Levi wasn't sure if it was the medication or if he had just completely destroyed his insides, either way the weaker suppressants even made feel healthier than he realized he had been. 

He was feeling pretty good actually; he had most of his friends together again, they lived in various places around the city and made sure to get together regularly.

He enjoyed his job as well, it wasn't hard to do; just empty paper bins and bring them back to be processed but the hours were good, he had evening and weekends off, the pay was really good, and he worked with some great people. 

He was usually paired up with Jean; a cocky Alpha with weird hair but actually wasn't bad when you got to know him. After working together for two years and convincing Jean early into their working relationship that he was in fact, not interested they had become fairly good friends. Levi had even introduced him to his group of friends and he fit in pretty well, even going on to date Petra after a while. The two seemed pretty happy together, Jean able to make Petra giggle and blush every time they were together, everyone thought they were very cute together; everyone except one person..

"Do you only like her because she's with Jean or do you actually like her?" Levi asked as he sipped his tea beside Hange who was face down on the table with fingers fisted in her hair.

"I like her." Hange whined. "I liked her before Jean came alone. Why did you have to introduce them anyway?" She added, her tone desperate and accusatory.

"I am not taking any blame for this. I introduced a friend to other friends. Even you liked him first.” Levi scoffed. 

I know, he’s a great guy. A little cocky but sweet underneath. Of course Petra likes him!" Hange cried.

"Why don’t you just tell her you like her?" Levi suggested and Hange laughed bitterly.

"Like that would do any good. I can’t compete with an Alpha! He’s so cool and handsome and just.. Not me.” Hanges hung her head sadly. 

“I think you can. He’s not the person she’s had a crush on since she was about 12 years old.” Levi said, making Hange almost fall out of her chair from straightening up too fast. 

“Don’t look at me like that. Everyone knew, you were just oblivious.” Levi said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“What?? But you two dated!” She said in disbelief. 

“Because she was devastated over you and Moblit. She thought I could help her get over you.” Levi explained. 

“Does she still feel that way?” Hange asked hopefully. 

“I don’t know, we haven’t talked about it. Why don’t you just talk to her. Buy her some flowers and confess to her. She’ll love it.” Levi suggested. 

“But what if she’s happy with Jean? Hey, you’re going home with them tomorrow, can you find out how they’re doing? How invested she is into the relationship?” Hanges asked. 

“I am not getting involved!” Levi said sternly. 

“Levi please!! I need your help, I’m so bad at this, I mess everything up around her, she’s just so pretty and wonderfully.” She pleaded. Levi stated at her begging face and groaned. He couldn't believe he was doing this but he knew it might make them both happy in the end and that's exactly what he wanted for his two friends. 

“Fine.” He grumbled and Hange tackled him in one of her tight hugs chanting her thank you's.

Mikasa picked Levi up bright and early the next day before swinging by to get Petra and bringing them back to her and Sasha's apartment. Levi hadn't been home in months and Kimi was not having it; she ordered Levi to take an extra few days off work and come home with Mikasa and her friends for the break and despite being 23 years old he obeyed the Omega woman without question. She could be scary when she wanted to be, just like her daughter.

 

"Why do I have to come?" Levi grumbled as he packed their bags into the trunk neatly. He knew why he was going and was looking forward to Kimi's family dinner but it was early and he was going to be squat in the car with a bunch of people for two hours.

"Because it's Easter break and Mom demanded I bring you too. You haven't been home in forever." Mikasa said throwing some snacks into the front seat for Sasha.

"I've been busy." Levi shrugged. "Is there even room for me? Aren't you bringing your college friends?" Levi asked, eyeing the small Toyota backseat.

"You'll just have to sit on someone." Mikasa shrugged.

"Wait, why do I have to sit on someone?" Levi demanded.

"Because I'm putting way too many people in my car! I have two big guys, three smaller ones, then you and Sasha and you were a last minute addition. It's a Corolla not an Escalade!" Mikasa exclaimed. "Besides you're the smallest, you can maneuver out of sight if we see a cop." She added simply.

"It's a 2 hour drive!" Levi exclaimed. "And I'm not even the smallest. Petra is shorter than me!" He added in desperation. 

"You and Petra are exactly the same height and you're like 90 lbs." Mikasa said and Levi glared at her.

"I am not 90 lbs." He grumbled like a child.

"Fine, do you want to make Petra sit on someone?" Mikasa raised a brow at him and he exhaled loudly.

"No." He obviously wouldn't choose is own comfort over someone else. "Why don't you just out on of the giants in the front seat then all the small ones can squeeze together in the back and no one sits on anyone." He suggested.

"Fuck no! Perks of being my girlfriend is, she gets to sit in front! Berthold's girlfriend is sitting on him too. She's the same size as you, possibly smaller. Eren's a nice guy, it won't be that bad." Mikasa rolled her eyes and Levi's heart stopped suddenly. 

"Eren?" He asked; he hadn’t heard of or met anyone by that name in a long time. It couldn’t be the same one, his Eren, she must have said Aaron, or maybe the name was more common than he thought. There were countless scenarios that were completely plausible. 

Maybe she had said another name entirely but his mind heard what it wanted to. It wouldn't have been the first time his brain had played tricks on him; telling what he wanted to hear. He had gone so long without thinking of the young boy, 9 years without seeing him or speaking to him, he thought he had gotten over the beautiful boy from his childhood. Then why was he spiraling at the mere mention of his name?

"Yeah he's a friend from College. He lives here but his parents are away for the Holiday so I offered him and a couple others to come with us. Don't worry, he's really nice and easy to get along with. Plus he's big enough that he won't even notice your weight on him and he won't bother you Alpha-wise because he has a girlfriend and I've never seen him show any interest in Omega's before." Mikasa explained.

Levi nodded, his head spinning lightly. It wouldn't be the same Eren but he was still wound up from the mention of his name. "Okay. It's fine. I'm going to go get a glass of water before we leave." He said making his way towards Mikasa's apartment, grabbing Sasha's house keys as he passed her and Petra walking toward the car.

 

He took a few minutes to steady himself; getting a glass of water and relieving himself before locking up the apartment again and heading back to the car.

 

He could hear Mikasa's friends before he could see them; they were laughing and playing around while packing the trunk of the car. They seemed like a friendly bunch; though they would have to be for Mikasa to tolerate them and invite them to her home. When he came into view he recognized Bert but he was standing beside three people he didn't recognize; two smaller blondes and a tall brunet with broad shoulders. He must have been the Alpha Mikasa had mentioned; Levi couldn't smell him since he was standing upwind but the man just  _looked_ like an Alpha; even from back on, his shirt stretching slightly over the muscles of his arms and back, his straight posture that exuded confidence and power, his oddly familiar shad of tan skin.. Levi stared at him, unable to explain to himself why he was so drawn to him, and unrealizing that he had stopped walking until he watched the Alpha freeze in place. From his peripheral vision, he could see the taller blond turning toward the alpha and heard him speak, if he wasn't so focused on the tall male he may have found the other more familiar but his eyes were trained on the slight movement of the Alpha's head as he obviously scented the air around him, not paying any mind to the smaller man beside him. 

 

The next moment happened in a blur; the Alpha turned around quickly, a shocked expression on his face.

Levi wasn't looking at his face or the expression it held; he was drowning in the beautiful blue and green oceans he never dreamed he would see again..

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that cliffhanger!!  
> I think I made a lot of people angry (good angry I hope).  
> Either way I loved the reactions/responses to the last chapter.  
> Thank you everyone for commenting!
> 
>  
> 
> So I wasn't going to give a city name because I'm just bad on deciding them, but writing "The City" was getting pretty stupid so the city is now Trost. I'll have to take a look in the previous chapters and fix it.  
> Also, apparently I had been spelling Bertolt's name wrong. I have no idea why I thought it was Berthold. I'll have to go back and fix that as well. 
> 
> If you notice any other mistakes feel free to let me know!! (Nicely please; my insecure heart can't take it)
> 
>  
> 
> Please Enjoy!!

 

 

 

"L-Levi?" Eren stammered, his beautiful green eyes wide and his face in shock. 

It was him! It was Eren, his Alpha, the little boy who had claimed him and swore to protect him all those years ago. He wasn't little anymore; his arms weren't too long and gangly for his body, his cheeks were no longer rounded with baby fat. Now he was tall, his shoulders were broad and his jaw was sharp. His hair was overgrown and messy, he looked so different, but his eyes.. His eyes were exactly the same. Full of emotion, innocence, and determination; they captivated Levi like the ocean they drew their color from. 

 

Levi wasn't breathing. He couldn't speak, or think, or move. He barely knew he was even there or that Eren had moved from his place beside Mikasa's car until he was standing inches away from him; hands hovering Levi's shoulders and arms straining to keep them in place. 

"I-it's you." Eren whispered and Levi could only nod as he looked up at the Alpha. Eren finally allowed himself to give in and he pulled Levi into his chest; strong arms wrapping around Levi and enveloping him in warmth and a strong yet soothing scent that was unfamiliar yet so Eren it couldn't have belonged to anyone else. "I never thought I'd see you again." Eren whispered, his voice muffled as his face was busied in Levi's hair. 

 

"Levi, are you alright?" Petra asked worriedly as she and Mikasa rushed over to the two men. 

"Eren, get off my cousin. Now." Mikasa demanded with calm ferocity, Levi could hear the anxiety in her voice and realized how they must look. He had never mentioned his Alpha to her, or even Petra for that matter. Petra had known more than Mikasa but he had never mentioned his Alpha to anyone other than Hange and Erwin.  

Eren seemed to hesitate but finally let go at the sound of Mikasa's angry growl. Levi barely stopped himself from whimpering at the loss of warmth and comfort. He glanced up at Mikasa when they parted, he could feel the blush on his cheeks and the wetness of his eyes. He wiped it away hastily before looking down at his shoes. 

"I'm sorry Mikasa. I just.. Levi was my.. Best friend. A long time ago." Eren said. Levi stealing a glance his way to find Eren's eyes trained on him; staring as though Levi was a ghost that would flitter away at any moment.  

"Levi? Is that true?" Mikasa was staring at him, trying to gauge. Protectiveness oozing from her scent. 

"Y-yes." Levi croaked, his throat dry and mind spinning. His eyes catching on the blond jogging over to them. 

"Levi! It's so good to see you again!" Armin said with a big smile, pulling Levi into a quick hug. Levi smiled at him, he was almost exactly the same; he was petite and angelic looking though now a few inches taller than Levi and no longer sported the bowl cut he had as a child. Levi was surprised that Armin hadn't presented as an Omega since how he had liked to cuddle as a child but his scent was clearly Beta. Levi thought it suited him. 

"I'm sorry, I'm a little shocked." Levi said with a strained chuckle, his attention then brought to the other blond he hadn't seen in such a long time as she walked toward him. Her face stoic and her eyes hard. 

"Annie!" He said in surprise, she kept walking until she was standing close to him then punched him hard on the shoulder. His eyes widened as he clutched his arm trying to ignore the growl he heard from behind him. 

"You bastard. You didn't say goodbye." She said, her lip caught between her teeth as her eyes stared into his with hardness. 

"I'm sorry." Levi said quietly. It was true, he hadn't said goodbye to her, to any of them. He had thought about them after he left, had missed them terribly but his devastation over Eren kind of overwhelmed his thoughts. He hadn't even tried to see if the rest of them had been there when he went back to find Eren was gone. 

Annie's eyes softened as she uncharacteristically threw her arms around him. "Don't do it again." She said harshly and Levi nodded, hugging her back for the moment before she pulled away. 

"Well this was unexpected." Sasha said, munching on a bag of Potato chips and standing next to Bert who looked confused and nervous. 

"Very." Mikasa said skeptically. "I guess you sitting on Eren won't be an issue after all. Since you are such good friends." She asked, eyes focusing on Levi, uncomfortably hard. He nodded, trying to smile calmly at her before they made their way back to the car. 

"You sure you're okay?" Petra asked quietly, linking her arm through Levi's and walking with him while letting off a soothing scent; one only a beta could pull off. He gave her a small nod and attempted a reassuring smile. 

"Is he..?" She asked hesitantly. Of course she would put it together, Petra was incredibly perceptive and caring when it came to her friends. There wasn't much that she overlooked. 

"Y-yeah." He said quietly and she squeezed her arm in hers. 

"Would you like to switch places? I've met Eren a few times, I don't mind." She offered as Levi watched the others pile into the car. Sasha moved her seat up so Berthold could fit his legs in behind, he blushed profusely as Annie climbed onto his lab and leaned into his chest. Armin slid in beside them and Eren waited outside the car, watching Levi. 

"No, it's fine. You get in." Levi said, guiding her forward. She crawled in beside Armin and Levi looked up at Eren. 

"Are you okay with sitting on me? I'm sure Armin would switch with you if you are." Eren said nervously; he looked quite cute with the tint of a blush across his tan nose. 

"No, it's fine. Armin has 3 inches on me, his legs would be too cramped." Levi said. Eren nodded and climbed into the car, Levi following behind and hesitantly sitting on his legs. 

Mikasa snorting in the front seat; her and Sasha whispering a joke about Levi's height, Levi couldn't even muster up a glare as Eren's scent swirled around him. 

Eren had barely had a scent when Levi had last seen him; just the smallest hints of a developing Alpha. Now his scent was overpowering yet soothing, it made Levi feel safe and hom—he stopped himself from thinking those things.  

It wasn't home. Eren wasn't his. They hadn’t seen each other in years, Eren hadn't tried to contact him and just now.. Eren had said that he was his best friend. That wasn't untrue; Eren had many best friends and Levi was definitely one of them but 

 

Just now he had told everyone that Levi had been his best friend, that was all; not his mate, not his Omega, just old friends. Didn’t Mikasa mention earlier he had a girlfriend? That he had never shown any interest in Omegas..  

 

"Alright, everyone settled in? This is highly illegal, so if you see a cop; Duck!" She said as she started the car and pulled out of the driveway. 

Levi felt Eren's arms circle his waist and pull him close against his chest while mumbling something about safety; though Levi doubted Eren's arms would save him in the event of an accident he didn't attempt to brush him off, he just leaned into the Alpha's strong chest. 

"You smell the same." Eren whispered; his nose buried in Levi's shoulder. "I thought your scent would be stronger to me since I presented but it's exactly the same." He added, his voice so quiet only Levi could hear. Levi didn't respond, he sat silently in Eren's arms as he looked out the window and let his mind run away with him. He could hear the conversations of his friends throughout the car but he wasn't concentrating on what they were saying, he was more focused on the warmth and the grip around his waist that never lost its strength, and the Alpha sitting silently behind him; chin pressed onto his shoulder. 

 

Everyone cheered when Mikasa turned off the highway and into town, all moaning about stiff joints and cramping limbs. 

"This is where you went?" Eren asked softly, head turned toward the window, eyes taking in the scenery. 

"Yes." Levi said quietly. 

"It's pretty." Eren's arms tightened ever so slightly around Levi's waist, Levi nodded. They stared out the window while the others listed off the different places they passed to the visitors until Mikasa finally pulled into the familiar driveway. 

"I um.. You can let go now.." Levi said shyly after the car had stopped but Eren hadn't moved. 

"Oh. Sorry." Eren said, letting go quickly and opening the door beside him and Levi climbed out just as Kimi dashed out of the house. 

 

"Mikasa! Levi! Welcome home!" She called, arms out as she came towards them; Mikasa pulling her into a hug. "Hey Mom." She said, holding her tight. 

They let go after a long moment and Kimi turned to Levi. "And why haven't I seen you since last year??" She said sternly but pulled him into a tight hug. 

"Sorry Aunt Kimi." Levi said, hugging her back. She pulled away, holding hi, at arms length and giving him a quizzical look. 

"Levi, you smell like Alpha. Is there something I should know about?" She asked with a grin. 

"The car was crowded, Mikasa made me sit on Eren." He said dismissively. 

"Eren? You mean the Alpha over there who hasn't taken his eyes off you since you got out of the car? I think you made an impression." She said and Levi felt his cheeks heating up. 

"We're old friends. We haven't seen each other since I moved here." Levi said. 

"Oh my, that's quite the reunion!" Kimi said walking over to the group of young adults. 

"Mom, this is Eren, Armin, and Annie. They're the friends from school I told you about and are apparently Levi's friends from his hometown." Mikasa introduced. 

"It's so nice to meet you. I've heard all about you." Kimi smiled. 

"I assume not from Levi." Armin joked, shaking her hand politely. 

"Oh you know how he is! Gotta pry information out of him." Kimi laughed waving it off and rolling her eyes. 

"Not like any of you mentioned him either in the 2 years I've known you." Mikasa scoffed. Levi's eyes glanced up to meet Eren's; they were filled with mixed emotions and focused on him, he looked away shyly, intimidated by Eren's stare 

 

"So Bert, this must be the girl you've been crushing on the last couple years?" Kimi asked, making the tall Alpha's face turn red and glared at Mikasa. 

"You know I tell my mom everything." She smirked as she unloaded the car and Kimi laughed. 

"She's very pretty." She whispered to the Alpha before turning to Annie with a big smile, Annie's cheeks dusted pink but she kept her. "Now, who's staying for dinner?" She asked, heading back into the house. 

Bertolt and Annie actually said goodbye and took their things, making their way to his parents' house; they had been excited to meet Annie and were expecting them. Sasha left to go see her parents and visit with Connie; she hadn't seen her best friend in a few months and Petra ran next door to see her family as well.  

It was just Mikasa, Eren, Armin, and Levi that followed Kimi into the house. She sat them down at the table and prepared lunch. They then proceeded to talk for hours; Kimi asking questions about their lives, their families, their educations. She was very social and wanted every detail they had to offer. Levi remained pretty quiet throughout the conversation; listening intently. He found out about Eren's life for the past 9 years; how they had moved to Trost 8 years ago, his father was head of the hospital there, his mother doing a lot of work there, especially in the Omega ward.  

He had kept in touch with his friends back home, visiting often and they had all moved there after graduation; He, Armin and Reiner now lived together off campus. That stung a little. Of course Eren had kept in contact with everyone after he moved; he was a great friend and he loved everyone just as much as everyone loved him. It just hurt a little that Levi was the only one who he hasn't given an afterthought. He took a small sip of water, trying to distract himself from the prickling of tears in his eyes. The drop of water must have taken the wrong path because mere seconds after bringing it to his lips he was choking on it; drawing everyone's attention to him as he tried to clear his air passage through a fit of coughing. He heard a chair scraping and felt a warm hand patting and rubbing circles onto his back as he finally took in the air he needed. He looked up through his blurry eyes at the worried faces of Kimi, Mikasa, and Armin; realizing that Eren was now beside him with his hand still rubbing his back, eyes boring into him. 

"S-sorry." Levi said through embarrassment. 

"You're alright?" Eren asked and Levi nodded, avoiding eye contact with him and glancing at the others; Kimi and Mikasa staring at him with wide eyes. 

 

"So, tell me about you two. How did you know each other?" Kimi asked. 

"Levi lived in our basement apartment. I think I just turned 6 when he and his mom moved in." Eren explained. "We spent a lot of time together, he was my.. Best friend." He added. Best friend. Right. That was it, nothing more, Levi was stupid to have believed anything else.  

"I take no offence only because I was there." Armin laughed, lightening the mood a little. 

"Oh I bet you two were adorable! I never knew Levi at that age, I bet he was tiny." Kimi laughed. Eren chuckled beside her. 

"He was 3 grades ahead of me and I was taller than him the entire time I knew him." He grinned. 

"We were the same height for like 2 years." Levi said quietly, throwing Eren a glare that gave him what seemed like the first real smile he had had all day. 

"Sure." He laughed. 

"Did you keep in contact after Levi moved here?" Kimi asked and the smile wiped off Eren's face. Levi looked away, Eren must have shook his head or Kimi read the silence because Eren didn't speak and she didn't pry. 

 

"Mikasa, why don't you show Eren and Armin to the spare room where they’ll be sleeping so they can get settled. Then you can show them around or something, I'm sure you don't want to be stuck here talking to me all afternoon." Kimi laughed. 

"It was a pleasure talking with you Mrs. Ackerman." Armin said politely before Mikasa led them upstairs. 

"Thanks for lunch Aunt Kimi, I'm going to run home." Levi said, bringing in the left over dishes. 

"Are you okay Levi? You seem very upset. Did you and Eren end things badly before you moved here?" Kimi asked, eyes filled with concern. 

"No. Everything is fine. I promise." Levi gave her the best reassuring smile he could before she hugged him again and let him go. 

 

"Levi! Hey!" Petra called, running down her driveway to catch up with him. 

"Hey." Levi waved. 

"Can I walk with you?" She asked. 

"I'm just going home." He said. 

"That's fine." She shrugged and kept pace beside him. "So Eren huh?" She asked. 

"What about him?" Levi asked, looking down at the ground as they walked. 

"He's the one you couldn’t get over, the boy you loved back home and gave you that sad face." Petra said. 

"He was. I'm over him now." Levi said. 

"I don’t believe that for a second. You never get over your first love." Petra giggled light heartedly. 

"So you're still in love with Hange then?" Levi countered and she stopped laughing abruptly. 

"That's not what I said.." She said firmly. 

"You said you never you never get over your first love, so you're not over Hange." Levi said,  

"Hange and I are best friends now. We live together, we spend most of our time together. She will always be special to me but it's different now, and I have Jean." Petra explained and Levi nodded. "Besides, wasn't he your Alpha? My thing with Hange was one sided, she told me that when you first came here you said you had an Alpha back home." She added. 

"I was mistaken." Levi said quietly. 

"That doesn't sound like you. To mistake something like that. He wasn't even an Alpha then there had to be a reason for you to call him yours." Petra pried. 

"I thought I had one. He insisted he was, but I left and... he never called me. I obviously didn’t mean as much to him as I thought I did." Levi explained sadly, feeling the water fill his eyes as he said the words he had thought over and over again, out loud for the first time. 

"That can't be it! I've spent some time with Eren since he and Mikasa became friends; he is the most passionate and caring person I've ever met. Mikasa talks about his protectiveness of his friends and it's as bad as her own if not worse. If Eren didn’t contact you there must have been a good reason." Petra insisted. 

"Maybe I was just the only one that he couldn't care about. The stupid little omega that lived downstairs." Levi said sadly and Petra stopped him, turning him to face her and looking into his eyes. 

"Levi, have you even looked at him since this morning? Have you seen the way he has been staring at you? Have you noticed the scent he's been giving off? There was a reason why he didn’t call you. I have no idea what it is but I am positive that it wasn't because he didn't care about you." She said, her eyes hard and insisting. Levi nodded and she let go, turning back to continue their walk. 

 

 

"How are thinks with Jean by the way?" Levi asked as they neared his house. 

"They're good. He's fun to be around." Petra smiled. 

"You know Hange is an idiot." He added. 

"You said that in high school when she didn’t know I liked her." Petra laughed. 

"Yeah well, it was true then, it's true now." Levi smiled. "She was oblivious to your feelings in high school and I think she was oblivious to her own since." He added, making Petra look at him with confusion. 

"I am not getting involved! I'm just saying that just because someone didn’t notice you before doesn't mean that they never will." Levi said cryptically. Petra looked at him with a furrowed brow before his words hit her and her face turned into surprise. 

"H-hange? She.." She stammered. 

"Not involved! You go figure it out yourself!" Levi demanded as he walked into his house. "You want to come in or..?" He asked. 

"N-no. I'll just walk back, I have to make a call anyway." Petra said pulling out her phone as she headed down the driveway in a slight daze. Levi smiled to himself before heading into the house. 

Most of this things were gone; brought to his apartment in Trost, his room bare except for the single bed and old dresser that had been there when he moved in.  

The empty room reminded him of when he had first moved in to the little apartment under Eren's house. He and Kuchel had had it rough before that place; Kuchel more so than him, he hadn’t realized at the time what exactly her job was, all he knew was that it was hard and she came home hurting more often than not. The Jaegar's had changed their lives for the better and gave them some really great years. Levi's life had been pretty good since moving here as well, it hadn't been perfect but he had amazing friends and a caring family, he couldn’t complain about any of it.  

There had been something missing though. Nine years in his new life and he never shook the feeling that something was missing; he knew exactly what it was, the person that he had missed terribly all those years, the person he couldn't bring himself to say his name out loud or tell anyone about him.  

The same person that was a Mikasa's house at this very moment, the same person he wanted to run into his arms and never let go. The same person that hadn't tried to contact him in 9 years and probably stopped thinking about him as soon as his leftover scent faded from his skin. 

Levi bit his lip; willing himself not to cry. He hadn’t cried over Eren in so long, he didn’t want to do it again now. He had no idea what to do about this situation, or how to act around the Alpha; the gorgeous, strong Alpha that should have been his.  

Levi chuckled bitterly to himself. His Alpha. His friends would probably laugh at him if he said that; he had always been so adamant that he did not want an Alpha and refused to acknowledge any Alpha's that had shown interest in him. He had tried dating throughout the years; a few Beta's, couple Omega's but nothing serious since Petra. Everyone had just assumed that he hadn't found the right person yet, some even questioning why he didn't try dating an Alpha; they might not be as bad as he thought. He didn't think they were bad; he never believed Kenny's rant about them when he first moved here and had met too many Alpha's that turned out to be some of the best people he knew. There was nothing stopping him from liking Alpha's or considering a relationship with them, other than the fact that he already had one. Even if they weren't together, there was no Alpha for him other than Eren.  

 

 

Levi found himself drifting off to sleep, barely hearing the knock on the door. It knocked a couple more times before Levi snapped out of his semi-conscious daze and realized the noise was real and got up to answer the door; eyes widening when he found Eren on his doorstep. 

"H-hi." Eren said bashfully. 

"Eren.. How did you know where I lived?" Levi asked in surprise. 

"I was just walking, trying to clear my head a bit and I caught your scent." Eren said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. 

"My scent?" Levi questioned. 

"Yeah, it's pretty faint actually, I only caught it as I was walking by this house, but I knew it was yours, I could never f... forget yours." He said the last part quietly, looking down at his feet. 

"Do you want to come in?" Levi asked shyly and Eren's head popped up with a nod and a smile. 

"It's not much but this is where I grew up after I.. left." Levi said showing Eren around; the small living room, the cluttered kitchen, the bathroom that didn’t look like it had been properly cleaned since Levi had moved out. "I spent most of my time at Erwin's the first couple years." Levi added lightly. 

"Erwin?" Eren asked, sitting down on the bed and looking around the empty room. 

"Yeah, he and Hange became my friends when I first moved here. They made everything.. A little easier. I live with him now back in Trost, that's where all my stuff is." Levi said, sitting on the other end of the bed. Eren nodded. 

"Hange. I've met her, she's Petra's roommate right? Sasha's sister too?" Eren asked. 

"That's her." Levi said. "Probably going to be Petra's girlfriend soon." He added. 

"Really? What about Horseface?" Eren asked surprised. 

"Not sure... You know Jean too?" Levi asked. 

"Yeah, he lived a few houses down from us when we moved to Trost. He's a little older than me but we became friends.. Sort off. We fight a lot." Eren smiled. 

"You know my cousin, all my friends, and the guy I've been working with for the last two years and this is the first time I've seen you." Levi said, trying to sound light hearted but his sadness seeping through. Eren scooted closer to Levi on the bed, looking at him hesitantly before laying his hand on Levi's smaller one. 

"I really missed you." He said quietly and Levi's vision went blurry before Eren pulled him into a hug. Levi had never been one to reciprocate hugs; he normally just allowed other people to hug him while he remained still and awkward, but in this moment, he wrapped his own arms around the larger man and held him tightly. He wanted to yell at Eren, ask him why he didn’t call, why he didn’t care, why he forgot about him, but he couldn’t. All he could do was surround himself with the warmth and the confused yet soothing scent that was Eren. 

"Wait. You're the sassy little Omega that Jean was 'definitely getting a piece of'?" Eren asked pulling Levi only far enough away to look into his eyes, his own filled with anger and protectiveness. 

"I can assure you he did not. Also he's getting his ass kicked when I get back." Levi said with a glare at the thought. He knew Jean had liked him, he had flirted and made his feelings known in the beginning but Levi had shot him down without hesitation.  

The anger in Eren's eyes faded as his face broke out into a smile. "You haven't changed, have you? You're the same scary little Omega with the beautiful face and the knockout punch." He laughed and Levi felt his face heat up at the remark of his face, how could Eren call him beautiful with all beauty failed in comparison to his own. 

"I can take care of myself. That's all." Levi said shyly. Eren's smiled faltered for a second but returned with warmth. 

"You always could, and me too when I tried to do it for you." He said and Levi averted his eyes before hearing the buzz of Eren's phone.  

"It's Mikasa. Probably thinks I got lost." Eren said before answering it. 

"Hey Mika... No not lost... I ran into Levi... Yes he's here..." Eren moved the phone away from his face "Mikasa said to tell you to come back for dinner. No excuses." He smiled apologetically. Levi rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, he'll be there... No we can walk, it’s not that far...Okay, see you then." Eren ended the call and they made their way back to Mikasa's house. 

  

"You two seem better." Kimi smiled as they all sat down for dinner; Eren sitting as close as possible to Levi, almost as he had done as a child. "Did you have a good talk?" She asked. 

"I guess so." Levi said, glancing at Eren before back at Kimi who grinned. 

"Did I miss something? I thought he was Mikasa's friend." Shawn said looking confused. 

"He is, but he was Levi's friend from before he moved here. They reunited this morning." Kimi explained, seemingly a little too giddy for the situation, she probably had some expectations that would probably lead to disappointment. 

"Ahh." Shawn said, more interested in his meal than the drama of young adults. They continued to eat their dinner; everyone chatting happily and enjoying their meals.

 

 

After cleanup they decide to watch some movies; Sasha, Petra, Bertolt, Annie and Connie came over and they all made their way to the basement. 

"Yo Levi, we can share this chair if you want. We tiny guys gotta stick together with so many people and not so many places to sit." Connie laughed as he moved over to make room on the small arm chair. 

"Sure, thanks." Levi said to the other Omega, giving him a soft smile. While the two weren't particularly close as friends, Connie had always seemed to idolize Levi; they were both extremely petite and male Omegas, but Levi had never let his dynamic or size stop him from anything and Connie tried to be just like him. He was much more goofy and outgoing but he did a decent job of counteracting the Omega stereotypes. 

"Woah, you sure it's alright for you to sit here? I didn't mean to upset your.. Boyfriend?" Connie whispered after Levi had sat down and shifted to get comfortable. Levi looked over at Eren, eyes widening in surprise to find Eren's eyes locked on the two, a deep frown on his face and a quiet rumble coming from his throat. Armin elbowed Eren in the rib to get his attention and snap him out of his Alphan daze. He shook his head, glancing at Levi sheepishly before turning his attention to the others. 

"He's not my boyfriend." Levi said quietly. 

"Oh." Connie said simply, though not convinced. "So what's knew with you, you haven’t been back in a while." He asked. 

"Nothing really. Still working, still living in Trost. Everyday is pretty much the same but I can’t complain. What about you? Still working at the Grocery store?" Levi asked. 

"Yeah, but only for a couple more weeks. I finally decided to move to the city. I'm doing a course in Personal Training with a focus on Omeagan Health." Connie explained. 

"Wow, that's awesome! Where are you staying?" Levi asked. 

"Moving in with Sasha and Mikasa for now, might get my own place when I get a job. Hey, you still living with those two Alpha's? Maybe we could get a place together." Connie said excitedly. 

"Yeah, that might be alright. I'm sure Erwin and Mike would like to live alone together after this long." Levi said. 

"That is, if that Alpha over there lets us." Connie smirked, giving Levi a wink. Levi blushed slightly. Normally a comment like that would make him angry but when it regarded Eren he couldn’t help himself; his Omega was showing.. 

 

They had a fun night of laughing, talking, and watching movies, it was pretty late when everyone decided to go home. Mikasa kissing Sasha goodbye and walking the rest to the door as they all went to their respective homes. 

"You're not walking home this late are you?" Eren asked, the two had stayed behind as everyone else went upstairs. 

"Nah, I'll just crash here." Levi said with a shrug. Kenny wasn't home anyway, he was out of town until tomorrow and Levi didn’t really want to stay in the house completely alone. Especially not with how off he had been feeling all day. Eren nodded, seemingly happy with the answer as Levi grabbed the throw blanket and tucked it onto the couch. 

"You're sleeping here??" Eren asked. 

"Well you and Armin are in the spare bed, I don’t think there's room for 3." Levi smirked, fluffing up the couch pillow. 

"No, you can go sleep with Armin, I'll sleep down here. You'll be more comfortable." Eren insisted. 

"Eren, you’re a giant. You won’t get any sleep and you'll have a bad back for the rest of the weekend, go get in the bed!" Levi demanded. 

"I'm not tired yet though. I'll just keep Armin up if I go there now." Eren said 

 "I'm not tired either. Would you like to watch something?" Levi asked. 

"Yeah." Eren smiled and they turned the tv back on and got comfortable on the couch.  

 

 

"He kind of reminds me of you. Small and angry." Eren laughed, referring to one of the characters on the space adventure cartoon they had decided on. "Excuse me, I do not have a mullet." Levi glared. 

"No, you don't." Eren said, running his fingers over the back of Levi's head. "You cut all your hair off. It suits you." He smiled. Levi tried not to let himself blush. 

"You grew yours out." He said, flicking a long piece that had fallen out of Eren's short ponytail. Eren laughed. 

"I always liked long hair." He said. 

"I remember." Levi smiled softly, reminiscing of the times that Eren would play with his hair; whining about how Carla wouldn't let him grow his own out. Eren's hand was currently running its fingers through the longer pieces of Levi's hair and scratching at his undercut. Levi was almost purring at the sensation, laying his head to rest on Eren's chest as he allowed the Alpha to continue his ministrations. 

 

Levi woke up a little disoriented; he was laying on something warm, comfortable, and.. Moving? His eyes snapped open and last night flooded back to him. He had fallen asleep on Eren's chest, the larger male sleeping deeply beside him; an arm around Levi and scent filled with content and ease. Levi was sure the scent was what had given him what was probably the most restful sleep he hadhad in years; there was just something about Eren's scent that soothed him, no matter what it was laced with. 

 

Eren mumbled something before his eyes opened slowly, he stared at Levi with a goofy smile until his eyes focused and he fully woke up. 

"Hey." He said. "We must have fallen asleep." 

"Yeah, sorry. You must have been uncomfortable." Levi said shyly, moving to get up. 

"Not at all. Actually I slept very well. Better than I have in a long time." Eren smiled, sitting up beside him. 

"Me too." Levi said quietly. 

"Like when we were kids. I always slept better when you stayed over." Eren said. Levi nodded with a soft smile. 

"We were really close weren't we?" Eren said before laughing. "I was so determined that you were going to be my Omega. I had no idea if I was even going to be an Alpha but no one could convince me that I wouldn't be yours." He said fondly. Levi tried to let out a chuckle but it was strained. 

"I told everyone! I was adamant. They all laughed at me but I didn't care. You were going to be my Omega, whether you liked it or not..." He continued. "Kids can be pretty stupid huh?" Eren said, looking Levi in the eye; his scent swirled around them as Levi stared back. He barely registered the closing space between them until Eren's finger was on his chin; tilting it up and pressing their lips together.  

Levi's eyes slipped closed as everything around him silenced; all he could perceive was Eren's welcoming scent drawing him in, Eren's warmth surrounding him, and his lips moving against his own; so soft yet electrifying. He was lost in it until he felt Eren pushing him away gently. 

Levi opened his eyes in surprise, staring into Eren's with confusion. Eren's were swimming with mixed emotions and he looked completely torn. 

"I—I'm sorry Levi. I shouldn't have done that, I usually have so much control over my scent." Eren stammered. 

"It's fine." Levi said softly. 

"No it's not. I forced you into everything when we were kids, I just manipulated you with my scent to kiss me, I have a fucking girlfriend!" Eren exclaimed and Levi's heart plummeted to his stomach. Eren did have a girlfriend; Mikasa had mentioned it yesterday morning before Levi had known it was Eren. He knew Eren had someone else, he had just been in denial since spending so much time with the younger Alpha.  

 

"You have a girlfriend?" Levi asked quietly, Eren nodded. 

"Her name is Mina. Her Dad works with my Dad and we spent a lot of time together when I first moved to Trost, she helped me get through a really hard time.." Eren explained, staring into Levi's eyes sadly. "We started dating the end of high school. She's really nice, you'd probably like her." He continued. 

"T—that's really great. I'm glad you found someone to be happy with." Levi said though his heart was twisting. Eren nodded, looking defeated. 

"I didn't even have to force her into it. She asked me out. I learned my lesson of coming on to strong and not listening to if the other person agrees or not." Eren laughed bitterly. 

"Eren.." Levi felt his throat drying out. He wanted to tell Eren that he had never been forced into anything, that he had wanted it just as much as Eren had. He had always thought that Eren knew that, despite Levi being too quiet and shy to voice it.  

What good would it do to tell him now? Maybe Eren had cared for Levi, cared as much as Levi had originally thought. But maybe he had made himself get over Levi because he believed that Levi hadn't cared as much as he had let on; just had Levi had done. Except in Eren's case it had actually worked.. 

 

"You're with someone too aren’t you? Erwin was it?" Eren asked after a moment. Levi shook his head and cleared his throat, still parched from the moment before. 

"N-no. Erwin and I are just good friends. I live with him and his mate. I don’t have anyone special at the moment." He said painfully. 

"I'm sure you'll find someone soon. You're still the most beautiful Omega I've ever seen. Even more so since you've grown up." Eren grinned, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Don’t let Mina hear you say that." Levi tried to joke. 

"She's a Beta anyway so she can't be offended by it." Eren said. "We can be friends though can't we?" His voice went back to serious. 

"Of course!" Levi said, completely sincere; he had missed Eren so much for nearly a decade, him having a mate was not going to stop Levi from keeping Eren in his life. Even if the mate was not him. Eren's face broke into a smile and he pulled Levi in for a hug. 

"Good because I have missed you so much. This last day had been so overwhelming but I know I can’t lose you again." He said, holding Levi tightly. 

"I feel the same." Levi said as Eren finally let go, smiling widely. 

 

"Good. So friends?" He asked again. 

"Friends." Levi said with a soft yet pained smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not such a dramatic ending to this chapter but I hope you still liked it!!  
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> Also fell free to talk to me on Tumblr  
> It's a little overrun with Voltron atm since season 3 came out yesterday and was amazing!
> 
>  
> 
> [Soapy0-0](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look early!
> 
> It's a tiny bit shorter than the other chapters but not too much, I hope you like it anyway!
> 
> Thanks everyone for the wonderful comments, they honestly make me so happy!
> 
> Please enjoy!

 

 

 

Just friends.

Levi could handle that right? He had gone 9 years without Eren; if the cost of having his Alpha back in his life was to be nothing more than friends he would take it. What choice did he have? He couldn’t lose Eren all over again, he might not make it through again.

 

They had fallen into friendship easily, almost as though they had never parted. Almost. Levi still felt shy around his... the Alpha. He had to stop thinking of Eren as his Alpha, he was Mina's Alpha. 

Mina.. She was probably some pretty little Beta with a great personality. She'd have to be for Eren to want to be with her, or at least for her to deserve to be with Eren. Levi wanted to hate her. He wanted to despise her from taking Eren away from him. 

But she hadn’t done anything to him, had she? Not directly anyway. Levi hadn't been around, Mina had been there when after Levi had left and after Eren had left the rest of his friends. He couldn’t hate the woman for taking care of Eren when he hadn’t been there to do so, he couldn’t be upset because Eren was in a relationship with her now. Eren wasn't his!

That would have been a lot easier if Eren would stop touching him so much..

 

Eren had always been clingy with Levi, others too, but as children if the two were together in a room Eren would be sitting as close as possible to the smaller boy, touching. 

Maybe it was because of the long time since Eren had seen Levi, perhaps he thought that if they weren't touching Levi would fade away like a dream. Maybe he didn't even realize he was doing it. Levi didn't want to know the answer, he didn’t want to question the action, for fear that if he brought attention to it then Eren would stop; the warmth and comfort radiating from the younger man and surrounding him by his scent, it was selfish but he didn’t want it to end.

 

 

Levi had managed to get some quality time in with Armin and Annie as well. He almost didn’t realize how much he had missed those two as well until he was back with them and talking like they had never been separated.

"So Physiotherapy huh? That's really great." Levi smiled as Annie explained what she was studying for in school. She just shrugged.

"Yeah it's alright. Bert lets me practice massages and stuff on him." She said with a small grin.

"How's that going? You and Bert." Levi asked and Annie blushed lightly.

"It's good. He's really sweet. He's not like other Alpha's I've dated." She said quietly.

"Yeah Bertolt is definitely one of a kind. I've known him since high school, pretty sure he was terrified of me at first." Levi chuckled.

"Pretty sure he was terrified of me too." Annie smiled.

'I'm pretty sure he still is." Armin laughed, Annie shot him a glare through Armin was unaffected and continued to laugh.

"What about you? No one special?" Levi asked Armin.

"Nah, I'm way too busy with studying. Trying to get into Med School early does not leave much time for anything else. Eren practically threatened my life to come on this trip." Armin said fondly.

"Knowing you, you probably could use the break." Levi chuckled.

"Yeah, it is nice to get away from it for a few days. So what do you do? You've been living in Trost all this time and none of us have even seen you!" Armin exclaimed.

"I work for a paper shredding company. We just go pick up the recycled paper and bring it back. I actually work closely with Jean, I didn’t realize you knew him." Levi explained.

" _You're_  the Omega he works with. The one he.." Annie's eyes flashed anger and he scent spiked, Even Armin looked concerned.

"Eren said the same thing. What is that asshole saying about me? I'm going to fucking kill him when I get back." Levi growled.

"He doesn't talk about you as much anymore, he just told everyone how sexy you were and that he was going to get in your pants." Armin assured.

"Not quite so politely." Annie grumbled.

"Well I can assure you that didn't happen." Levi stated, crossing his arms in a huff.

"We assumed when he stopped boasting about it that he either struck out or succeeded and had gotten bored. We were actually worried for the poor Omega but now that we know it was you." Armin smiled.

"You put him in his place I assume." Annie said.

"'Course." Levi said with a shrug, earning himself a chuckle out of the two blondes. 

 

 

 

"So you seem to have reunited with everyone pretty well." Mikasa said as she and Levi were on an errand to the grocery store for Kimi.

"Yeah, it's really nice to see them again." Levi said, throwing a few items into the cart.

"You and Eren seem really close." Mikasa prodded. Levi shrugged.

"He's always been really friendly." He said simply.

"That's true, though I've never seen him cuddling up to anyone the same as he has been with you. Not even Mina." Mikasa said.

"I guess it's just been so long.." Levi tried to find an excuse. It seemed to work because Mikasa just nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me about him? You were so close before you moved here but you never mentioned anyone from your life before." Mikasa asked softly.

"I.. I don't know. I was sad. My mother died and I left my friends all at the same time.." Levi explained sadly. Mikasa nodded in understanding as the continued to gather the things off Kimi's list. She was planning a full Easter Dinner, everyone was invited.

Levi and Mikasa spent most of the day helping Kimi prepare the meal, Eren and Armin coming in to give a hand as well though it did get pretty crowded in the kitchen, especially with those inexperienced in Ackerman family dinners.

All of Mikasa's friends were there, plus Petra and Sasha's parents, all gathering around the table; it was a tight squeeze, though Eren didn’t seem to mind as he pulled his chair as close as possible to Levi's.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Hey Brat, long time no see." Kenny said, rushing into the room after everyone had sat down, he was supposed to be there a few hours ago, but the work assignment he had been on ran late and he had been away for all of Levi's visit so far.

"Hey old man, way to keep everyone waiting." Levi said, earning himself a chuckle from the table; they had all gotten pretty used to the banter between the two over the years. 

Kenny gave a rough chuckle but his eyes were narrowed and focused to Levi's right. Levi glanced from his Uncle to the Alpha beside him, surprised to find Eren starting back with burning eyes, clenched teeth, and a low growl rumbling from his throat.

"Who’s this brat?" Kenny said, his voice barely curious but his eyes still trained on Eren, as he pulled out the free chair and sat down for dinner

"Kenny, this is Eren, he's one of Mikasa's friends from school and a friend of Levi's from his hometown. They’ve reunited and become quite close." Kimi explained with a grin. Kenny glanced at her before eyes falling on Levi with disapproval and turning back to Eren.

"Damn kid, you really grew up didncha?" He growled out a harsh chuckle.

"Why are you here?" Eren's voice was low and filled with venom.

"Excuse me? This is  _my_  family. Why the fuck couldn't I be here?" Kenny spat angrily and the room silenced around them as everyone stared at the two in shock and the two Alpha's scents rose in anger, Even Levi had a hard time to keep himself calm with the rage and hostility surrounding him.

"You don’t deserve this family." Eren spat through clenched teeth.

"Eren, Calm down, this is my Uncle Kenny, he comes to dinner regularly. I don’t know why you think he did but he not a bad person." Mikasa said, her tone gentle but commanding, trying to rein in Eren. 

Levi put his hand on Eren's arm in attempt to sooth the angry Alpha; he had never been good at this sort of thing, especially with his muted scent that couldn’t be easily manipulated to calm down those around him, though for this first time in his life he was actively trying. Levi's touch did grab Eren's attention as he finally broke his eyes away from the older Alpha across the table and fell on Levi; the anger fading from them, replaced with sadness and grief.

"If you don't like it you’re welcome to leave." Kenny spat, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, earning himself a quiet reprimand from his sister in law. 

"You took him away from me!" Eren shouted, his voice almost broken as he turned back to Kenny. "You stole my Omega from me and wouldn't let me see him!" His big beautiful eyes were swimming in tears. Levi stared at Eren with wide eyes as a drop slipped down Eren's cheek. Eren's eyes moved to Levi, then over everyone  else at the table who were staring at his outburst; only Annie and Armin looking unsurprised by what Eren had said.

"I'm sorry." Eren whispered before moving quickly to get up from the table and dashing out of the room.

"What the Hell Kenny?" Shawn growled when Eren was gone.

"I didn’t do nothin'! I just walked in the damn door and some shitty alpha brat starts attacking me!" Kenny huffed, leaning in to fill his plate with the food that was slowly getting cold. Levi didn’t hear the rest of the conversation; he knew Kimi was chewing Kenny out but he couldn’t get Eren's words out of his mind. 'wouldn’t let him see him'? Had Kenny had something to do with Levi not seeing Eren all these years?

"Levi?" Kimi's voice finally broke though his thoughts. He looked up somewhat startled.

"I.. Um.. I'll go see if he's alright." He said and quickly excusing himself from the table and following the Alpha downstairs, finding him curled up on the couch, clutching the pillow that Levi had been sleeping on to his chest. Levi sat down beside him silently.

"I'm sorry." Eren said after a few moments, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Are you okay?" Levi asked and Eren shook his head, his grip tightening as he breathed in deeply.

"I hate him." Eren said in almost a whimper.

"What did you mean, Kenny wouldn't let you see me." Levi asked carefully, he wasn't sure he was ready for the answer but he needed to know.

"We were going to take care of you! Mom wanted you to move in as much as I did. He wouldn't let you, he stole you away from us, didn’t tell us where you lived, how to contact you, and made sure we couldn’t find out!" Eren cried, his eyes shining with tears.

"H-how?" Levi asked, feeling his own eyes filling.

"I don’t know! He's a cop isn't he? I guess he pulled some strings and put a restraining order on my parents." Eren said bitterly.

"You can’t get a restraining order without a proper reason!" Levi said desperately. He couldn't believe this, Kenny had taken care of him, he had been a good guardian, he couldn't have done something so cruel.

"I guess he forged the documents or figured out a way around it, I don’t know! But did you really think we just didn’t want to ever see you again?" Eren asked, hurt lacing his scent and his face. Levi looked away, feeling the tears slide down his face and he nodded.

"I did. I'm sorry.. I thought you had forgotten about me, that you had never really wanted me. I called your phone and it was disconnected. I came to see you and you were gone." Levi sobbed quietly. "If you wanted me so bad why did you make it so I had no idea where you were?" He asked; his throat drying out again and his heart twisting in his chest. Eren dropped the pillow and pulled Levi into his arms, burying his nose in Levi's hair.

"We couldn’t stay there anymore. Not without you. Mom couldn’t stand living in the same place where she had lost both Kuchel and you. Dad was offered a job in Trost and they jumped on it. We moved away for a fresh start, though it didn't make anything easier. Mom still cried over you when she thought I couldn’t hear. She's convinced she saw you stopped at a light a few years ago but you were gone before she could reach you." Eren explained, rubbing Levi's back. 

Levi remembered that day; he hadn’t realized it at the time but the woman on the bench, she had been so familiar to him. He was sure she had been running in his direction as he drove away but he hadn’t gone back to check, assuming his mind had just been playing tricks on him.

"We wanted you so much. It hurt worse than anything I've ever felt when you left. I thought I had lost my mate." Eren laughed at the last part. Levi couldn't bring himself to laugh at the small joke; he had lost his mate, he was still losing him even though he was right here and holding him in his arms.

"It took me a while to realize that you hadn't actually been my mate. We were so young and I was so stubborn. You don’t find your mate when your 6 years old, you especially don’t insist on it for years afterwards without even considering if that was what the other person wanted." Eren explained sadly.

"I-" Levi's voice cracked, his throat was so dry, he tried to clear it. All fluid in his body must have been leaking through his eyes, unable to go anywhere else.

"It was hard to get over you." Eren continued. "But you were still my best friend and I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." Levi whispered, he really needed a glass of water. The pain of years without out Eren, combined with the pain of Kenny being the sole reason and now Eren succeeding in getting over him; it made his chest physically hurt, as though something was actually twisting and crushing his heart. 

He wanted to yell at Eren; tell him that he had wanted exactly what Eren had wanted, it was never one sided and he wasn't just a stubborn kid. He wanted to tell him that he had always been his mate and always will be.

But Eren had gotten over him. He had just told him straight out. How could Levi profess his feelings for the Alpha when he knew the Alpha had willed them away so long ago. He couldn’t do that to Eren now, make him consider feelings that he had worked so hard and had endured so much pain to rid himself of.

Eren had loved him once, but he didn't anymore; not in the same way that Levi loved him at least. It was alright though, Levi could manage with the love Eren had for his friends. It would be enough, it would have to be. At least now he could give himself a reason to finally and truly force himself to get over Eren, as he should have done years ago.

They stayed sitting on the couch, cuddled together until they both calmed down enough to be around the others.

"We should probably get back." Eren said though his grip didn't loosen. Levi nodded and Eren finally let him go, both getting up off the couch.

"I'll be right up, just going to run to the bathroom." Levi said, heading towards the opposite side of the room.

"Okay, I'll heat up your dinner for you." Eren smiled before making his way upstairs. Levi went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face and grab a glass of water for his parched throat.

The water burned his dry throat as he gulped it down, managing to choke on the last few drops; dropping the plastic cup into the sink as he coughed harshly.

He finally calmed himself down, fixed his hair in the mirror and was turning to leave when something caught his eye. He moved back over to the sink, reaching into it and picking up the single blue flower petal; his eyes staring at it in shock.

"Fuck..."

The rest of the evening was tense. They managed to have a decent evening, Eren even avoiding Kenny in order to keep the peace, but Levi wanted nothing more than for it to end. He was angry at Kenny, he had been the cause of everything. Kenny had taken Levi away from people who had wanted him, had loved him. Levi had had a great life and he couldn't picture his life without any of the people he met here but it didn't make being without Eren for those years hurt any less. 

Levi could have moved here and still kept in contact with Eren, he could have spoken to Eren on the phone, visited him on holidays, but Kenny had made sure that that would never happen. He was furious at Kenny. But he was also angry with himself.

How could he have been so stupid as to let himself fall into the same disease that killed his mother. Unrequited love. That's how Hanahaki formed; he had read enough about it when his mother was ill. When you loved someone desperately but the loved was not returned, vines would grow in your chest; twisting around your heart, blooming in your lungs, until you started coughing them up. If you didn't get over the feelings or have the disease treated they would continue to sprout until you could no longer breath. 

Levi had only just reunited with Eren, the disease couldn’t have progressed that quickly that he was coughing up flower petals in under a week. But Levi had spent years loving Eren. Eren, who had been nowhere in sight and the heart break of finally knowing that Eren didn’t love him back was probably what pushed him over the edge.

It was okay, he could handle this. If he forced himself to stop loving the younger boy now then it would clear up on his own. It couldn't be far enough along yet if he had only just showed his first sign. Everything would be okay. It had to be.

Levi managed to slip away from the crowd of people, he was finding everything a bit overwhelming and was glad to go sit out on the porch and breathe in the cool Spring night air. He was enjoying the silence until he heard the door open behind him.

"What, you're not even going to talk to me? I haven't seen you since Christmas and you're ignoring me." Kenny said gruffly, sitting on the bench beside Levi. Levi didn’t speak, he had no idea what to even say.

"Oh come on Levi, don’t go listening to some damn Alpha. I think we've gotten along pretty good over the years don't you?" Kenny said, pulling out his cigarettes.

"You're the reason they never contacted me." Levi said quietly.

"Aw fuck." Kenny grumbled with the cigarette between his lips and lighter held up to it.

"You convinced me that they didn’t care about me. That if they had wanted me they would have called me. But you made it so that they couldn’t." Levi said, his voice angry yet still quiet.

"It was for your own good." Kenny said. Levi's eyes widened. For his own good? How the fuck did Kenny know what was for his own good? How was taking Levi away from people that loved him good for him? Kenny had done a lot of things over the years that were messed up, but this?

"Just like putting me on suppressants that would completely fuck with my body and destroy any chances of me having a family?" Levi spat angrily.

"I thought you didn't care about that!" Kenny said. It was somewhat true, Levi hadn’t been completely devastated by the news, he didn’t have any plans for children but he was still young and the thought of not being able to have them if he did decide he wanted them had always hurt a little, though he shoved it to the back of his mind and never let anyone know the thought existed.

"That's not the point." Levi growled.

"I think it is the point. You didn't give a shit about having babies or being a 'real' omega until that damn Alpha showed up again. I did what was best for you! All Alpha's want the same thing and he had his claws in you since you were a fucking child! I kept you safe from him and any other Alpha's who would just use you like some sex doll! I didn't want you ending up like her! Dead because of some fucking Alpha!" Kenny shouted. "Fat lot good it did me anyway. That damn kid is back and you're going to run right into his arms like a little omega bitch aren’t you." He growled bitterly. Levi stared at him, completely dumbfounded. 

Kenny had said a lot of things to him over the years, some jokes, some insults, he would berate Alphas and Omegas as a whole, hating the stereotypes but never directing them at Levi. He had done everything he could to teach Levi not to be the Omega that society had expected him to be; he taught him how to fight, how to stand up for himself, he had helped him become the man he was today. But Kenny had never  _ever_  degraded Levi by calling him a bitch. Never implied that Levi would just roll over and let an Alpha have his way with him like he was nothing. 

Until now that is.

Levi stood up slowly but didn’t say a word. There were no words to be formed, he felt completely and utterly betrayed by the man that he had loved like a father. Levi stared at him blankly before silently turning toward the door and heading back inside. 

Kenny didn't go after him, he didn't attempt to apologize, Levi was leaving tomorrow and at this point his didn’t care if he ever saw his Uncle again. 

Levi didn't sleep well that night and was groggy and out of it most of the next morning as they packed up their things and got ready to leave.

"You okay?" Eren asked, taking Levi's bag out of his hand and putting it into the trunk of Mikasa's car. Levi looked up into Eren's worried eyes, feeling somewhat dazed; he was filled with anger and hurt. He just shrugged and gave Eren a half smile.

"I'm just tired." He said, though the worry in Eren's eyes never faded.

"Okay." He said with a nod and they continued packing the car and went to say their goodbyes.

"Now you keep me posted." Kimi grinned, pulling Levi into a hug.

"Aunt Kimi, we're not together." Levi said with a sigh.

"Not yet." She winked at him.

"Not ever, he had a girlfriend." Levi insisted and he grin faltered a little but she perked up again.

"Things will work out." She said, always the optimistic. Levi gave her a soft smile and let go, moving over to say goodbye to Shawn before heading to the car. Eren was already sitting in the back seat, smiling and holding out his arms as Levi walked up. Even after spending the week in close proximity to Eren, getting to know him all over again, he still felt his cheeks heat up as he climbed onto the Alpha's legs.

Eren's arms circled his waist tightly, he wasn't as desperate or silent as last time but he still held Levi securely, his scent swirling around the Omega in an attempt to comfort him. It worked as Levi felt himself leaning back into Eren's chest and laying his head on Eren's shoulder as his eyes slowly drifted closed.

Levi didn’t even remember Mikasa getting in the car, or the two hour drive back to Trost; all he knew was when he was being gently shaken awake by Eren. He opened his eyes slowly, met by beautiful oceans and a hint of pink dusting Eren's nose and cheeks as he smiled as Levi.

"Time to wake up, you're home." Eren said gently and Levi felt his own face heat up again; he really had to get that under control, it was happening way too much lately.

"I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you." He said, wiping his mouth to rid himself of possible drool.

"Don’t worry about it, I'm glad you got some rest. And don’t worry, you didn't drool on me." Eren laughed as Levi's blushed deepened before he moved to get out of the car, realizing that it was only Eren and Armin left in the back seat and he had slept through the other stops.

"Thanks Mikasa, I’ll be talking to you." Levi said, after grabbing his bag, eyes falling on Armin and Eren again; Armin who was smiling and waving happily and Eren who looked conflicted. "Bye." Levi said before quickly heading into the building and up to his apartment.

"Levi! How was your trip?" Erwin looked up smiling when Levi walked in through the door. Erwin and Mike were curled up on the couch, cuddled together; Mike watching the tv while Erwin was reading a book. Levi smiled at the scene, even after all the years the two had been together they were still so much in love and so a peace with each other.

"It was good." Levi said sitting down on the chair beside the couch. Mike Scented the air as he looked over at him.

"You smell like him." He stated. Levi's eyes widened but he composed himself quickly, not to let on his actual thoughts of the situation.

"I'm surprised you can smell anything over your own scents. I take it your rut is starting." He blatantly changed the subject. "Should I head over to Hange's now or..?"

"Should be good until tomorrow evening. Hange told us what happened." Eren said, Levi sighed at the Alpha's stubborn persistence.

"Hange wasn't even there!" Levi exclaimed.

"Petra called her. Told her everything. They're also getting together, but you probably know that already." Erwin chuckled, Levi just shrugged.

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me you had an Alpha? I thought you just didn’t like them." Mike asked with a smirk.

"He's not my Alpha!" Levi demanded, it was directed more to himself than them but he had to make his point known, the two Alpha's looking surprised..

"We're friends again. That's all we were and it's all we will be. It was very nice to see my old friends and my family again but I'd rather not talk about it right now." Levi said sternly and the two nodded, concern filling Erwin's face until they heard a knock on the door. 

"I'll get it" Erwin said looking curious; they rarely got visitors they weren't expecting, Mike looking over with interest, obviously trying to scent the visitor through the door.

"oh.. Um.. Sorry, I must have the wrong address." Levi heard Eren's voice from the doorway.

"Who are you looking for? Perhaps I can help." Erwin said with his friendly smile as Levi moved into view, distracting Eren's attention away from the other Alpha.

"Levi!" Eren said and Erwin stepped aside in surprise. Eren looked as though he was ready to bolt in through the door and toward Levi but was forcing himself to stay where he was, eyes moving from the two Alpha's to Levi.

"What are you doing here?" Levi asked.

"I forgot to get your number." Eren said through his clenched jaw. Levi sighed.

"Eren calm down and come in." He said, knowing how odd it may be for Erwin's rut scent swirling around the apartment while an Omega and another Alpha were calmly in the room. Eren hurried into the room and by Levi's side, standing impossibly close to him.

"Eren! It's no nice to meet you! Levi was just telling us about your reunion. I'm Erwin Smith, Levi's friend since High School." Erwin smiled and held out a hand as he took a step closer to the two. Eren growled at Erwin; stepping between him and Levi protectively; dominance strong in his scent, swirling around them.

"I said calm down!" Levi swatted Eren's side with the back of his hand. "This is Erwin, one of my best friends and Mike his mate. I told you about them!" Levi said annoyed, glaring up at the sheepish looking Alpha who finally calmed down a little though still tense.

"Sorry, I didn't realize they were both Alpha's" Eren said.

"Is that a problem?" Levi demanded, having no time for prejudice against his friends, not matter how he felt about the person.

"No! Of course not! I was just surprised, I wasn't expecting such strong scents." Eren said to Levi's relief.

"That's my fault I'm afraid." Erwin said, leaning back into Mike who had hurried to his side during Eren's outburst. "My rut is very soon, it's a weird time for visitors as you probably have experienced as well." He added with a smile.

"Yeah, Sorry about that. It's nice to meet you both." Eren said. 

"Come on." Levi said pulling Eren toward his room so they could speak privately.

"You wanted my number? Couldn't you have asked Mikasa?" Levi asked, putting his bag on the bed and beginning to unpack it. Eren looked around the room before sitting on the edge of Levi's bed.

"I was going to but I would rather get it from you, just in case you didn't want me to have it." Eren said almost shyly.

"Why wouldn't I want you to have my number?" Levi raised a brow.

"I don’t know! Maybe I'm annoying and you don't want me texting you bad memes and pictures all day." Eren smirked, Levi looked at him for a moment quietly.

"I live for bad memes and pictures. I'd be disappointed if you didn't send them." he said, causing Eren's smirk to widen into a big smile as he laughed.

"Good." He said and reached over to the night table beside the bed, picking up the old, battered and worn stuffed horse.

"You still have him?" He asked, his voice low and fond.

"Oh. I um.. Yeah." Levi said, almost embarrassed over how worn the toy was; he had cuddled with that horse more times than he could count, still did occasionally. Eren didn't press the matter further, he just smiled at the horse and looked up at Levi with almost sad eyes.

"Okay, give me your phone." Levi said, blocking the flood of memories and emotions that threatened to spill, Eren nodded and pulled it out.

Levi stared a little too long at the home screen after unlocking it; there Eren was smiling happily with his arms around an equally happy girl. She was very pretty; big grey eyes and long black hair, smooth looking skin and a beautiful smile. Levi felt the corners of his eyes start to sting, his chest constricting and burning up his throat; he pressed the text message button quickly and punched in his number, sending himself a message and saving his number in Eren's phone.

"Thanks." Eren smiled. "I should be going. Are you okay here? With Erwin's rut and everything?" He asked.

"Yeah it's fine. I've never been affected by an Alpha rut and I'll go over to Hange's tomorrow to give them some privacy when it starts." Levi explained.

"Okay, as long as your safe." Eren smiled gently through his eyes still held concern.

"Of course. Neither of them would ever do anything to me." Levi insisted. Eren nodded and looked into Levi's eyes for a moment, as though he wanted to say something else but decided against it before pulling Levi into a quick hug.

"Go, I'm sure Mina is waiting for you." Levi forced himself to smile though even the mention of the girl's name made his throat dry out painfully. 

"Yeah. She's expecting me. I'll text you later?" Eren asked, Levi nodded and Eren smiled before turning and heading out the door.

Levi let out a quiet, choked sob when he heard the apartment door close. Why was it so painful to be near Eren when he had someone else waiting for him?  Why was it so hard to accept the fact that they were just friends? Levi felt his throat closing off, making him cough harshly; his fit lasting a moment or two and taking the energy from him as he sat down on his bed, hand still covering his mouth as he was finally beginning to calm down. 

Blue flower petals fell from his hand as he moved it away from his face, making his stomach drop. He had to stop this now. He had to stop his feelings for Eren as soon as possible so he could continue to have a happy friendship with him.

If he didn't he may end up not remembering Eren at all..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!  
> Sorry for the delay, there's been a lot going on including a death in the family.
> 
> This chapter didn't progress as far as I had planned but I feel things are still important.  
> And that just means it's going to be longer in the end. that's good right? :)
> 
> Really hope it doesn't suck, like I said, there's been a lot going on.
> 
> Feel free to leave comments about the chapter/story. They always make me happy and might help me get out of this mood I'm in.
> 
> Please Enjoy!

 

 

 

Levi knocked on the door to Hange and Petra's apartment; Erwin's rut had officially started that afternoon so Levi was staying with Hange and Petra until it passed in order to give Erwin and Mike some privacy during this intimate time. They always hated kicking him out for the duration but it was the best outcome for all parties involved. 

"Leeevi!!" Hange squealed as she swung the door open with a bang. 

"Is it safe? Are you decent? I do not want to see you two fucking on the couch." Levi said, covering his eyes dramatically. Hange laughed loudly and pulled him inside and into a tight hug. 

"You've been home since yesterday and you have not called me to tell me about Eren?!? I had no idea he was your Alpha! I would have gotten you two together last year when I met him!" She rambled 

"He is  _not_ my Alpha. I need you and everyone else to be clear on this." Levi said sternly and Hange's smile vanished. 

"Oh, right. Mina." She said softly. 

"You know her?" Levi asked, laying his bag on the floor and sitting on the couch, giving Petra a small smile and wave 'hello'. 

"Yeah I met her the same time as him. She's very nice but if you two are meant to be together.." Hange began. 

"We're not!" Levi interrupted. "It was a childhood crush. We thought there was something there that obviously wasn't. He's moved on, I've moved on. We're just going to be friends." He explained almost harshly. Hange looked sad as she nodded, knowing when not to push the Omega. 

"So tell me, what's going on with you two?" Levi changed the subject, bringing a wide grin to Hange's face and a blush to Petra's. Hange moved over and sat down beside Petra; putting her arm around the smaller girl and pulling her in tightly. 

"Thank you Levi. She called me the other day and we were talking almost constantly." Hange smiled dreamily at the girl. 

"We officially got together yesterday when I got home." Petra grinned, linking her hand with Hange's. 

"Don’t thank me. I didn't say a thing." Levi put his hands up innocently but couldn't help to smile at their newfound happiness. 

"You said enough." Petra said. 

"Good. Does this mean I get a bed this time, instead of the couch?" Levi asked with a smirk and the two Beta's laughed. 

"It's all yours." Hange said. 

 

 

 

The next morning Levi had to go back to work, he hadn’t even thought of Jean with the whole situation with Petra. He really didn’t want to be caught up in a cheating situation with Jean knowing nothing of what was going on, he really hope Petra had broken up with him already.  

 

"Woah there stud, something you'd like to share?" Jean asked, his nose wrinkling. Levi raised a brow, unaware what he was talking about. 

"Dude, you stink. Did you roll in Alpha scent this morning?" Jean asked as he climbed into the truck beside Levi. 

"I showered like 6 times!" Levi said, lifting his shirt up to smell it; it was true, it did smell like Eren, he had gotten so used to Eren's scent that he didn’t even realize that he still smelled like him. 

"I guess Eren got you good!" Jean laughed, Levi looked over in surprise. 

"Nothing is secret. Besides you smell like him, even if Armin didn't tell me what happened I would still know. So you and Eren are childhood friends huh?" Jean asked as he started the van and began driving to their first destination. 

"Yeah. His parents were my Landlords." Levi said simply. 

"Ah. Yeah that's cool. I met Eren when he first moved here, he was kind of a mess, leaving all his friends behind I guess." Jean explained. Levi looked down at his hands; he knew how that felt and it pained him that Eren, who was so full of life and passionate about his friends, had gone through it too.  

Levi hadn't been there to comfort Eren during that time, just like Eren hadn't been there to comfort Levi during his. The worst part about it was that now he knew that Eren had wanted to be there, he had never wanted Levi to leave and had never forgotten about him... At least not until later. 

 

"But I started hanging out with him, and he spent a lot of time with Mina too, we all became friends and he seemed to get better." Jean explained. 

"Speaking of being friends, what's this I've heard about me being a 'sure thing' when we first met?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms. Jean's fingers tightened on the wheel and his scent rose up in fear. 

I-I. Uh.. It was when we first met! I Before I knew you!" He stammered frantically. 

"You cocky little shit!" Levi growled, though thoroughly enjoying the Alpha's panic. 

"I'm sorry Levi! I'd never say that about you now. I know you now and I know you'd never be persuaded into anything like that until you wanted to be." Jean explained. 

"You shouldn't say it about any Omega!" Levi exclaimed.  

"No, you're right. I'm really bad at stuff like that. Probably why Petra broke up with me. I'm going to work on it though, I promise." Jean said sincerely. 

"Oh, so she did break up with you?" Levi asked, hoping his relief didn't show in his voice. 

"Yeah, she called me the other day, said there was someone else." Jean explained. 

"How are you doing?" Levi asked quietly. Jean shrugged. 

"It's fine. We weren't that great together anyway, it was never going anywhere. If she's going to be happy with someone else then she shouldn't waste her time with me." Jean glanced over to Levi with a smile. 

"You are a good guy Jean." Levi said with a sigh, it's too bad Jean had to be the one affected by this, he really was a nice guy underneath it all. 

"Yeah well.." He said and grinned. "Well I hope the 'someone else' is Hange. Those two have been dancing around each other as long as I've known them." He laughed. 

Levi chuckled softly, it wasn't his place to tell Jean if he was right, but it did amuse him that the Alpha had been so perceptive over the two. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Come on Leviiiii, you have to come out with us!" Eren whined through the phone. It had been a few weeks since they had returned from their trip and the two had been texting daily.  

Though they hadn't seen each other since the day Eren had come over to ask for Levi's phone number, Levi had really enjoyed getting to know the younger man all over again. He was the same excitable little boy Levi had known all those years ago and Levi thought it was adorable. He never showed much emotion himself, so he found speaking to Eren over the phone refreshing and fun. 

Except for now that is as Eren was trying to convince him to come out for the evening with him and their friends. 

"I do not." Levi said flatly. 

"Please Levi? I haven't seen you in weeks!" Eren exclaimed. 

"And you don’t need to see me tonight in a damn bar." Levi said harshly but regretted it instantly when Eren went quiet. 

"I just miss you is all.." Eren said quietly, making Levi's heart squeeze. "I'm sorry, it's just.. I just got you back and I never actually see you.." He added with his sad voice, and Levi couldn't handle it; he couldn’t be the reason for the sadness in Eren's voice. 

"Fiine." He groaned and couldn’t help but to smile as Eren cheered loudly on the other end. 

"Awesome!! It's going to be great! Do you want me to pick you up?" Eren asked excitedly. 

"Nah, that's fine, Petra and Hange are going as well, I'll get a ride with them." Levi said. 

"Okay! I'll see you at 9 okay?" Eren asked, Levi could hear the smile in his voice, making his heart ache, wishing he could see the beautiful smile. 

"Yeah, see you then." Levi said with his own small smile and hung up the phone before heading to his closet to find something to wear. 

 

Levi stared at his closet longer than he would have liked to admit. He had no idea what to wear; he hadn't gotten new clothes in years. He hadn’t grown since high school and his job required a simple uniform supplied by the company so he hadn’t needed any. But as he looked at his closet full of simple t-shirts, hoodies and jeans he regretted his abysmal taste in fashion and uncaring need to update his wardrobe.  

 

"Wear something Sexy." Hange suggested as Levi held his phone up to his ear, still staring at his closet. 

"I don't own anything sexy!" He growled. 

"No, you really don’t do you." Hange said. 

"Thanks." Levi deadpanned. 

"You look fine in your regular clothes. It’s not like they're rags or anything. They're just plain." Hange said. 

"I can't go to a bar where everyone is dressed nicely except for me." Levi said, making Hange laugh. 

"You never seemed to mind before." She cackled before stopping abruptly. "Is this because of Eren??" She exclaimed. 

"No! I just want to look nice!" Levi defended a little too harshly. 

"Alright, put on your dark jeans, the tight ones that make your ass look good and come over, Petra has some things that should fit you." Hange said excitedly. 

"I'm not wearing a dress." Levi warned. 

"Yeah yeah. Just come over!" Hange said, hanging up the phone. 

 

 

 

"You don't think this is too much?" Levi asked nervously as they walked into the bar; Hange and Petra had convinced him to wear one of Petra's loose-fitting tops and small jacket. It paired well with his dark jeans and his slicked back hair, even Levi had to admit he looked pretty good. 

"No, you look amazing!" Petra smiled, linking her arm with his, Hange doing the same to the other. Levi felt himself blush slightly and looked away to clear his throat as they walked in.  

His eyes scanned the room, catching on bright green almost instantly as Eren noticed him and his face broke out into a smile before Levi's vision was blocked by a flash of blonde and a tiny body throwing their arms around him. 

"Levi!! I can’t believe you've been here this whole time and this is the first I'm seeing you!!" A familiar voice said as she held him tightly. 

"Krista?" Levi asked as the small Omega pulled away enough to look up at him with a big smile and watery eyes, Levi smiled at her and pulled her into another hug. 

"It so good to see you again!" He exclaimed, forgetting how much he had missed the tiny girl. 

"I missed you! We all did!" Krista said as she pulled away with a smile then took his hand and pulled him toward the crowd.  

They were all there; Mikasa, Sasha, Annie, Bertolt, Armin, Connie, Jean, and Eren. Levi's eyes fell to the dark-haired girl standing beside Eren, eyes trained on him before his attention was taken by a big burley blonde man. 

"Reiner! Fuck man, you're huge." Levi said wide eyed at the incredibly buff Alpha who had been barely more than average size, if not a little chubby last time they had seen each other. 

"And you're like the exact same size." Reiner laughed happily. 

"Seriously Levi, did you grow at all?" Ymir piped up with a smirk from beside Reiner. 

"Fuck off." Levi laughed fondly at the two. 

"Levi! You made it!" Eren said happily, coming over to him; Mina in tow, she was staring at Levi a little harshly. 

"I did" Levi gave a small smile, glancing at the seemingly miffed girl who elbowed Eren in the rib, making him snap out of his current focus. 

"Levi, this is my girlfriend Mina. Mina, my best friend Levi." Eren introduced. 

"Nice to finally meet you." Levi said politely, holding out his hand to the Beta. She shook it reluctantly. 

"Funny how you're best friends but I hadn't actually heard of you until a few weeks ago." She said. 

"Mina, I told you, we were best friends as children, not seeing him in a long time didn’t change that." Eren explained. 

"Mmhm" She said before turning back to the game of pool they had been playing. 

"Did I do something?" Levi whispered to Eren after she was out of earshot. 

"No not really. She could smell you on me when I got home from our trip so she's just a little paranoid. I told her there was nothing to worry about." Eren explained. 

"Of course not, we're just friends right?" Levi said and Eren gave him a small smile.  

"Yeah, just friends." He said. 

 

"So you two are still together?" Levi asked as he sat in the booth across from Ymir and Krista who were sitting extremely close with Ymir's arm around Krista securely. Ymir grinned and Krista blushed. 

"We didn’t officially start dating until Highschool but yeah." Krista said. 

"That's amazing. I'm happy for you." Levi said with a smile. 

"Thanks for introducing us." Ymir smirked. 

"Well if you and Reiner didn’t decide to pick on me and Eren try to save me I guess none of us would have been friends." Levi laughed. 

"What?? I don't know that story!!" Hange said loudly as she and Petra slid into the booth beside them. "Levi never told us any stories from before he moved." She added, drawing attention from the others. 

"What story?" Reiner asked, leaning over the back of the booth. 

"The time Levi knocked you out!" Ymir laughed. 

"Oh man! He was a fierce little dude!" Reiner laughed loudly. 

"I want to hear this!" Mikasa said, pushing Levi into the booth farther so she and Sasha could sit down and the rest left their game to listen in on the story. 

"So we were in 3rd grade and Levi was the new kid and he was weird. I mean he was hanging out with Kindergartners!" Ymir began. 

"What a loser." Connie snorted, earning himself a glare from Levi. 

"You would have been in Kindergarten at this point." He said flatly. 

"Still.." Connie shrugged with a smirk. 

"So Ymir and I decide, being the assholes we are that we're going to make fun of him for it. He seemed fine with it, the little kid didn’t give a shit. But then Eren over here decides to fucking fight me over his honor!" Reiner laughed. Levi's eyes find Eren's as they stared back at his own, Eren's cheeks dusted pink as he turned back to the story teller, grinning as Jean gave him a friendly punch to the shoulder calling him a suicidal bastard. 

"Anyway, Eren is spouting off shit about his Omega and tries to fight Reiner. Reiner being the big brute he is knocks him down and then Levi is livid, he hauls back and knocks Reiner off his fucking feet in one punch!" Ymir laughs loudly. 

"Damn Levi!! I knew you could but shit!" Hange practically screams excitedly, the rest all laughing and chatting together. 

“That is so cute! You called him your Omega when you were in kindergarten?” Sasha gushed, Levi felt himself blush and glance back up at Eren.  

“Yeah.” He laughed awkwardly. “you know kids right.” He added, looking back at Levi with an almost sadness in his eye. Mina linked her arm through Eren's, laying her head on his shoulder innocently yet with a hint of possessiveness as her eye caught Levi's. Levi looked away, eyes focusing on the drink in his hand as he turned it slowly between his fingers. 

 

The group disbursed again a few minutes later; some playing pool, some going back to the bar, some dancing in the corner, and Levi sitting in the booth with Hange and Petra as they made out and he watched his friends interacting. 

 

Connie and Reiner seemed to be hitting it off; turns out Reiner was an instructor for the Personal Training Course Connie was doing. He focused in basic and Alpha aspects of Personal training but they had interacted a couple times. 

Levi smiled a little into his drink as he watched the short yet buff Omega blush shyly at the giant blonde Alpha. He couldn't hear their conversation but he could tell by body language there was something between them, or at least the possibility of something. 

Levi watched Reiner smile down at Connie, putting his hand on the smaller man's shoulder. Connie tensed and his eyes widened in panic, glancing over to Levi before turning back to Reiner and saying something Levi couldn’t hear. 

 

"Right Levi?" Connie said walking over to Levi with a big smile on his face and panic in his eyes. 

"Of course!" Levi said, watching the relief flood through Connie, his body physically relaxing as he slid in beside Levi in the booth and put his arm around him, catching the attention of the lip locked couple across from him as well as a stunned and disappointed looking Alpha beside them. 

"Oh I didn’t realize." Reiner said, eying the two. 

"We're pretty low key, Levi's not big on public affection." Connie said, grinning at the other Omega and Levi knew exactly what he had just agreed to. 

"Yeah, I'm pretty shy.." He said; where was the harm in playing along for one night. It was obvious Connie liked Reiner, maybe he was just playing hard to get. 

"Aww babe, you're so cute." Connie laughed, pulling Levi tighter into himself. 

"Not going to lie, I'm a little disappointed. But Omega Omega action is pretty hot." Reiner smirked. 

"Reiner, you're disgusting." Levi growled, making Reiner and Connie chuckle lightly. 

 

Connie stuck to Levi for most of the night after this; keeping up the pretense that they were together. Levi felt Eren's eyes on him throughout the evening, when Connie would scoot closer to Levi, Levi would find his eyes glancing up at Eren who was starring daggers at the other Omega as Mina would pull him a little closer and try to focus his attention on her.  

 

"Hey." Eren said, leaning on the bar beside Levi as Levi waited for the drink he had ordered. He didn't drink much but he had a fairly pleasant buzz going on tonight, which helped with the twisting ache in his chest whenever he looked at Eren and Mina together. They looked happy together, laughing and smiling together as they played pool or mingled with their friends. 

"Hey." Levi said, turning toward the beautiful man beside him, honestly, how did he have such spectacular eyes; eyes that could bore into your soul as you got lost in the endless ocean of them. 

"Did I tell you how good you look tonight?" Eren asked, his voice wavering slightly. 

"Do you think that's appropriate?" Levi asked, he could smell the alcohol on Eren's breath, he had had a little more than Levi had. Eren's face broke into a big smile as he laughed. 

"Why wouldn't it be? Best friends can tell each other how good they look without it being weird, can't they? Eren asked, Levi raised a brow. 

"Not when the best friend's girlfriend looks like she's going to fucking eat me if I make one wrong move." Levi said and Eren just laughed. 

"She's not going to eat you! She's nice, you two could be friends." Eren said. "What about Connie. You didn't tell me you were dating." He added, his voice almost accusatory. 

"It's a new development." Levi said flatly, sipping the drink he had just received. 

"How new?" Eren asked, following Levi as he moved away from the bar. 

"It's just new okay." Levi said, wanting to drop the subject. 

"Do you like him?" Eren asked. 

"Of course, Connie is a great guy," Levi said, leaning against the wall as Eren practically loomed over him. His scent surrounding Levi; filled with unease and drunken confusion. 

"Have you dated a lot of people?" Eren asked, no longer light and playful. 

"Maybe you should concern yourself with your own relationship." Levi defended; the Omega in him jumping joyfully at the thought of the jealous and possessive Alpha but his head telling him that it would do him no good.  

Eren was clearly jealous of Levi dating someone but that didn't mean he wanted Levi for him for himself. Eren had been in love with Levi a long time ago, you never forget you first love and it makes you do strange things, even when you no longer love that person and have moved on to another. 

Levi wished more than anything he could do that; move on and fall in love with another. Someone to love him back and whose mere presence didn't cause twisting pain in his chest. 

 

Eren was so close. Levi hadn't realized how close Eren was until he was assaulted by Eren's scent; it was all around him, heavy with passion and laced with intoxication. Levi could smell the alcohol on Eren's breath, the same breath that felt warm against his face as his lips moved closer to Levi's own. Eren's beautiful eyes fixated on Levi's mouth as though it were the only thing in the world. Until some of the fuzz cleared away from Eren's up and he looked back up into Levi's with realization of what was happening and who he had waiting for him. His eyes wide in sorrow, his scent pulled back into himself but laced with regret and shame. 

 

"I'm so sorry Levi." He said, his voice trembling. "I keep doing this; losing myself when I'm around you, using my scent to manipulate and take advantage of you. I can't keep doing this, you won’t want to be near me if I can't control myself around you." He rambled desperately, moving to a nearby table and sitting down defeatedly as Levi followed.

 

"Eren, do you really think I am so weak that you can just manipulate me into doing something that I don't want to?" Levi asked, a little miffed that Eren thought so little of him but also attempting to hide the disappointment of not feeling Eren's lips press against his own.  

"No! Not at all. You are the strongest person I've ever known. No alpha could ever take advantage of you. It's just with our past... I'm affected by it.. But then again it was all just one sided wasn't it? I decided to be your Alpha and just assumed you were okay with it, I never even asked, did I?" Eren laughed bitterly.  

"Eren." Levi said softly yet firmly as he put his hand over Eren's larger one, Eren looked up to meet Levi's eyes, Eren's shimmering with unshed tears in the lights of the bar.   

"You didn’t need to ask. There was no doubt in my mind that you were my Alpha. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear to you, I thought you knew." Levi explained and the tears fell down Eren's face.  

"I did! At the time I did. Just.. After you left and I didn’t see you again.. I thought I came on too strong, people told me I came on too strong." Eren explained.  

"You may have been a stupid kid who convinced himself he had found his mate but I was a stupid kid as well who thought the same thing. We grew apart, maybe because we were separated or maybe it would have happened anyway, but that doesn’t change that I felt the same for you as you did for me." Levi explained, his heart aching as he did so, wishing he could just tell Eren that he had never stopped those feelings, he felt them just as strongly in this moment as he had the night they had kissed on the patio steps after his first Heat.  

He couldn't though, could he.. Eren had told him he had moved on, he had told him how difficult it had been but that he had done it. Now he was with a beautiful girl who loved him and could give him everything he deserved, how could Levi compete with that? He was a Omega but he didn’t act like one, he didn’t think like one, and he couldn’t even give Eren the most basic thing that Omegas were made to do..  

Eren looked at him sadly, the tears still streaking his face. “We might not have.” He said quietly, Levi barely heard it over the music. 

“But we did and you moved on, you have a wonderful girlfriend, you love her don’t you?” Levi asked, the words burning his throat on the way up; he felt a cough threatening to come up behind it but he willed himself not to give in.  

“Y-yeah.” He nodded sadly and that was it. That was all Levi needed to know; Eren loved Mina, they were happy together and Levi refused to stand in the way of that. He would move on too, maybe find someone to fall in love with then he and Eren could be just friends for the remainder of their lives. 

“Then what are you doing over here with me? Go be with her! She’s already worried about our relationship, don’t make her fret about something that isn’t there.” Levi ordered painfully.  

“Okay.” He nodded. “But just because it’s different that it was, doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” Eren said with a small smile before lifting Levi’s hand to kiss it and making his way over to the rest of their friends. 

 

The words tore into him like a dagger, such sweet words ripped his heart to shreds; he wanted nothing more than Eren’s love but this type of love, a friendly love you give your closest companions, it wasn’t enough for him. But then again it had to be.  

Levi felt his throat close off as something rose to the surface; he ran to the bathroom with a hand over his mouth as a last defense of the bile or vomit that was climbing up his throat. Me made it to a toilet before it could reach his mouth, a violent cough ripping through his lungs making him unable to breath. It was painful, his lungs felt like they were on fire.  

He leaned over the toilet, waiting for the contents of his stomach to empty but that’s not what came out; through blurry eyes he found the bowl filled with blue. Blue Hydrangea petals floated in the water with specks of red splattered lightly over them.  

Levi flushed the toilet and sat on the dirty floor with his head in his hands; he was failing, he was supposed to make himself better, making the feelings go away was supposed to make you better, but ridding himself of these feelings was a lot harder than he had originally thought. 

  

“Yo! Levi? You in here?” Connie’s voice drew Levi out of his thoughts. 

“You okay? Not like you to sit on a public bathroom floor.” Connie asked looking under the door. 

“Yeah. I’m fine. A little too much to drink is all.” Levi said standing up and opening the door. 

“oh, good. Yeah I figured I should come check on you, you know since I’m your boyfriend and all.” Connie chuckled bashfully. “Thanks for that by the way.” He added with a small smile.. 

“It’s not a big deal.” Levi said as he washed his hands. “I’m just curious why it was necessary, you and Reiner seemed to be hitting it off.” He said and Connie rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“I panicked, sorry. Reiner's great; we've talked at school and stuff and he's really cool and buff and knows practically everything about fitness.. but like.. he’s an Alpha and I don’t know if I want to be with an Alpha.” Connie explained. 

“Oh?” Levi raised a brow, throwing out the paper towel he had dried his hands with and looked at the other man.  

“Well.. I mean.. you don’t date Alphas. There must be something about them that’s not good…” Connie explained. 

“That’s not why you’re not, is it? Because I don’t?” Levi asked in surprise. 

“Well you’re awesome and tough and smart! I figured if you don’t like Alpha’s then there must be a good reason for it. Besides, I don’t want to be with some big tough Alpha who thinks I’m not as good as him because I’m an Omega.” Connie explained, eyes not meeting Levi's as he toed at something on the floor with his shoe. 

“Okay that is a good reason not to date a specific Alpha. You can’t base your decision on me or the few asshole Alpha’s that are around. I have a reason for not dating Alpha’s, it has nothing to do with their dynamic. Some of the best people I know are Alpha’s. Erwin and Mike are the most understanding and caring people you could ever meet, Mikasa will protect you with her life! Reiner is a good guy, I haven’t seen him in a long time but if he was a decent Alpha at 14 when people are at their most assholishness then he is probably still a decent guy. If you don’t want to date him that’s fine but don’t dismiss him because I don’t date Alphas!” Levi demanded. He knew he was ranting and he knew that Connie had always looked up to him but he couldn’t just blindly follow Levi and assume it was a good idea.  

Levi clearly had no idea what he was doing if the recently flushed bowl of flower petals had anything to say about it. 

 

“You’re right, I never realized.. damn you’re so cool.” Connie said with a grin and Levi rolled his eyes with a soft smile. He had no idea why Connie idolized him so much but it seemed as it wouldn't be stopping any time soon. 

“I can play along with this dating thing for a little while if you need me to, but if you actually are interested in Reiner then I think you should talk to him because he is clearly interested in you." Levi explained, though how hypocritical of him to tell someone to confess their feelings when he couldn't do it himself, even when it was physically making him sick. But his situation was different than Connie's; they were in the beginning, feelings were growing. Eren's feeling for Levi were no longer there, at least not the ones that he needed, there was no point to dwell on it. 

"If you end up not liking him or if he makes you feel inferior then dump his ass, it doesn’t hurt to try.” Levi added and Connie nodded. 

“Thanks.” He said pulling the slightly taller man into a hug. “Play along for tonight though yeah?” He asked, pulling away 

“Alright.” Levi rolled his eyes again but linked his arm through Connie's before they went back out into the bar. Levi tried not to look at Eren who was kissing Mina in the corner, the Beta's arms around his neck as their bodies pressed together and lips moved against each other.  

Levi forced himself to look away and focus on the people around him; catching a sympathetic glance from Armin before he laid his head on Connie's shoulder for effect. It worked as he found Reiner's eyes lingering on the two and he smirked slightly before his eyes started to feel heavy. 

 

 

 

 

Levi woke up in his bed the next morning with only a vague recollection of strong arms helping him stand and walk out to Hange's car. It wasn't like him to sleep around his friends, especially in a public place but between the alcohol and the intense fit of coughing he had endured, he had been feeling week and sleepy.  

He groaned as he got out of bed, pulled on a large hoodie and made his way towards the kitchen where he could smell fresh coffee. 

"It liiives!" Erwin said dramatically, his bright 'Captain America' smile breaking out onto his face. 

"Yeah yeah, you're hilarious. It's 10:30!" Levi grumbled as Erwin poured him some coffee. 

"You usually get up at 7, and you don't usually get carried in by an over protective Alpha." Erwin chuckled, Levi perked up, he hadn't remembered being carried in. 

"Who?" He asked quietly. 

"Oh man, you must have really been out of it. Eren brought you in, insisted on bringing you to your bed, even growled a little when  got too close." Erwin said and Levi felt his face heat up. 

"Don't worry." Erwin said sensing Levi's embarrassment. " He apologized after and we talked a bit, he's alright, I'm glad you two are friends again." He smiled. 

"Yeah." Levi said, eyes staring into his coffee cup.  

"Everything will work out Levi, I know it will." Erwin smiled, clapping Levi lightly on the back as he walked toward the living room. 

"Man, where are all these flower petals coming from?" Erwin said, swiping at one with his foot, Levi perked up in horror, watching as Erwin bent down and picked it up with a curious look on his face. 

"O-oh, um. There's a bunch of hydrangea bushes at one of the buildings we go to, maybe I pick them up there without realizing." Levi lied through his teeth. Erwin raised a brow but seemed to accept it. 

"You must be distracted by something if you're not even noticing leaving a small mess behind. A green eyed Alpha perhaps?" He laughed. 

 

 

"You have no idea.." Levi whispered, resting his head on his arms in defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> Feel free to speak to me on tumblr  
> I love to chat, I'm just not always very good at it
> 
>  
> 
> [Soapy0-0](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So FYI I'm having minor surgery in a few days  
> I had Lasik a few years ago and apparently (which they do not tell you before you do it) it's common within the first 10 years for your prescription to come back and need a touch up..
> 
> So yeah, super minor (yet terrifying) surgery which will hopefully get rid of the horrific headaches I've been getting but staring at a computer for long periods might be a bad idea for a bit so next chapter might be delayed.  
> I'll write as much as I can over the weekend, but you know how it is.
> 
> so please be patient (which I know you are, you're all amazing!)

 

 

 

 

 

Life went on as normal since the night at the bar; Levi still texted Eren regularly and spoke on the phone occasionally. He had been doing pretty well and hadn’t had any terrible coughing fits since that night and even less instances of flower petals. He had been extremely careful to watch for them to make sure Erwin and Mike didn’t come across any more of them, he had never mentioned to anyone how his mother had died and Hanahaki wasn't a common disease so they wouldn’t put it together yet but he didn't want to test them.  

He had even looked up some home remedies for early stages of the disease; yoga, meditation, certain types of tea. He tried whatever he could and honestly, he was feeling a little better; his chest feeling a little lighter, his muscles regaining a little of their lost strength from his neglect the last few years. Maybe he'd get Connie to start training him when he was finished with his course. 

Him and Connie were still a thing as well; not that he had to do anything about it, he hasn't been around Connie since the night at the bar and Connie hadn't spent any time with Reiner outside of school but Connie had kept Levi posted on some of the conversations he had had with the older Alpha.  

It seemed Reiner was still pretty flirty with Connie but he was respectful of his boundaries. Even the few times Reiner and Levi spoke through messenger Reiner would sometimes talk about Connie but it was always something funny the little goofball had done. It was clear the Alpha had it bad for him and Levi felt bad doing this to him but if Connie wasn't ready then he wasn't ready. 

 

 

 

Levi chuckled as Jean listed off the events of the terrible date he had been on a few days before as they pulled the bags out of the back of the van. 

"I feel sorry for anyone going out with you." Levi teased, earning himself a glare from Jean as they rand the buzzer. 

"I'll have you know I'm an excellent date!" Jean defended. 

"Yeah sure. What do you say Hannah? Think Jean here would be a good date?" Levi asked the redheaded receptionist who giggled. 

"I'm sure he's a wonderful date." She said. 

"Thank you, Hannah! I'd prove it to you any time." Jean grinned, leaning on the counter. 

"I don’t think Hanz would like that very much." She giggled, rubbing her very large round belly." She giggled again. 

"No, you're probably right. I've offered to show Levi but he just shoots me down too." Jean sighed dramatically. 

"Aww, you two would be cute together!" Hannah grinned and Levi wrinkled his nose. 

"No thanks." He said. 

"Oh did you know that Levi is apparently taken?" Jean said and Hannah perked up in interest. "Yeah it seems I'm the only one around here that can't get an Omega, even Levi has one!" Jean said. 

"Oh really? Two Omegas, you two must be the cutest couple. How did you meet?" Hannah smiled. 

"Oh, he's my cousin's girlfriends best friend, we've known each other since junior high, it just kind of happened." Levi said uncomfortably, he hated lying about it, even if the lie wasn't hurting anyone. 

"Oh that is sooo sweet!"  Hannah gushed. 

"How about you, you must be ready to pop!" Levi smiled at her belly, changing the subject. 

"I am! I'm due in 3 weeks. They’ve been interviewing all week for my job. There's a very sweet,  _very_  handsome young Alpha in there right now." Hannah giggled again. 

"Aren't you married?" Jean asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Married, not dead." She laughed. 

"Come on Jean, we have work to do" Levi grinned at Hannah as he pulled the Alpha away. 

"Oh she can look but I can't." Jean whined as they went around to the paper bins to empty them. He was emptying the one beside the closed board room when the meeting must have ended. He felt his heart stop at the sound of the voice her heard inside. 

"Thank you so much for interviewing me Mr. Pixis, Miss. Dreyse." Eren said as the door opened, smiling and shaking their hands. 

"It was a pleasure meeting you Eren, we’ll be in touch." Mr. Pixis smiled, his eyes crinkling at the edges. Levi stared as Eren's eyes finally landed on him and widened in surprise. 

"Levi?" He asked. 

"Hey." Levi said, lifting up the sack of paper. 

"Ah, hello Levi, nice to see you again. Excuse me." Mr. Pixis said before he walked down the hall toward his office. Levi nodded at the important yet friendly man. 

"You work here?" Eren asked. 

"Nah, I'm just the paper guy." Levi said, pulling out the company name on his uniform.  

"Oh you know each other? Levi is the sweetest little thing isn't he?" Miss. Dreyse smiled and Levi blushed a little. 

"Oh I know." Eren smiled she led him down the hall toward the lobby.  

Levi and Jean finished up, and said goodbye to Hannah after giving her the receipt, then went out to load the paper sacks in the van that had a tall figure leaning against it. 

"Yo Eren, what are you doing here?" Jean asked, opening the back doors. 

"I just had an interview, thought I'd stick around to say hi." Eren said. 

"You're the handsome Alpha? What the fuck? I can't catch a break!" Jean whined making the other two laugh. 

"Sorry about just now, I was surprised to see you. I knew you worked with Jean, I'm just an idiot." Eren laughed lightly. Levi waved him off. 

"It's fine, I was surprised to see you too. You're up for Hannah's job?" Levi asked. 

"Yeah, applying for a few things since I'll be finishing school in a couple weeks. Most entry level are reception work but experience is experience, right?" Eren smiled. 

"Why don't your dad just get you a job at the hospital?" Jean asked, throwing Levi's bag in the back as well. 

"I'd rather get some experience on my own." Eren said defiantly. 

"Good for you Eren." Levi smiled. 

"Thanks." Eren grinned. "I'll let you get back to work, text me later?" He asked. Levi nodded and waved. 

 

 

 

 

 

Levi and Erwin were having a movie night, it was Friday and it had been so long since the two of them did something alone together and Levi was very much looking forward to it. 

"Chinese food and cheap wine. If the guys at the office could see how classy I am right now." Erwin laughed bringing in the glasses as Levi dished up their meals.  

"Who the fuck cares." Levi laughed, sitting back with his plate and chopsticks, his phone buzzing beside him. 

"You're popular tonight." Erwin said with a smirk. 

"Eren's having a party and he's drunk texting me. So is Hange, Mikasa, and Connie. And everyone else through them. I'm ignoring them." Levi said, sipping his wine. 

"Oh, yeah Hange has sent me a couple earlier, not in a while though, I guess I'm not as much fun as you." Erwin said almost sadly. 

"Consider yourself lucky. They know you and Mike are comfortable just hanging out here by yourselves so they don't bother you." Levi said. 

"Maybe we're too comfortable." Erwin said, eyes focusing on his plate as he pushed the food around, not eating it. 

"I wouldn't say that.. Hey, what's up?" Levi asked, laying his things down and moving to face Erwin who looked extremely. 

"Mike is working late again.." Erwin whispered. "He's been doing it a lot lately." He added. 

"That doesn't mean anything, maybe he's just swamped, or maybe he needs the overtime." Levi suggested. 

"for money? I have more than enough money for us." Erwin said. "He's made comments on how boring we are, I thought it was just a joke but what if it's not?" 

"I've heard him say that, I know he's joking." Levi assured. 

"It started that way but what if he's not anymore. What if he actually finds me boring? What if he's not working right now.. What if he's.." Erwin's voice trembled. 

"Hey, don’t finish that sentence. Mike loves you, if he told you he's working then he's working. Mike would never do anything to hurt you. Besides, if he did he knows I would kick his ass." Levi said with a small grin that Erwin couldn't help but to laugh at. 

"He had 100 pounds on you." He smiled. 

"And he's terrified of me and you know it." Levi said and Erwin laughed harder while nodding. 

"Thanks Levi." Erwin said and put his arm around the small Omega. "I don't know what I'd do without you." He said as Levi cuddled into his best friend. 

"You'd be a miserable Alpha who thinks too much." Levi teased.  

"Yes I would." Erwin chuckled and gave Levi a squeeze before they relaxed and finished their dinner and movie. 

They ended up falling asleep during the second movie; Levi waking up to the sound of the front door opening, looking up to see Mike walking over to them with a smile on his face. 

"Hey, you jealous I'm going to steal your man?" Levi whispered as he was cuddled into the Alpha with a smirk. There were few people who Levi felt comfortable cuddling up against, but Erwin had always been one of them; allowing his inner Omega to come out without giving off the wrong impression. 

"Not at all." Mike said with a grin, leaning down to kiss the top of Levi's head before Levi moved out of the way so Mike could lean down and press his lips to Erwin's, whose eyes opened slowly and he smiled at his boyfriend.  

Levi watched the two interact, there was no way in hell that Mike was fooling around on Erwin, that man was just as in love with Erwin now as he had been 7 years ago when they had gotten together. Mike pulled Erwin onto his feet and kissed him deeply before hoisting the slightly smaller Alpha into his arms with ease and carried him into their bedroom. 

"Goodnight Levi." Mike called out. 

"Night." Levi said with a smile, making his way to his own bedroom to sleep. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Levi, help!" Eren shouted as he jumped onto Levi's bed, effectively walking the Omega up with a start at 6:00 on a Sunday morning. 

"Eren? What the fuck? How did you get in here?" Levi demanded, throwing his pillow at the Alpha. 

"Mike let me in. He's gone for a run." Eren said, hugging the pillow into himself. 

"I'm going to have to have a talk with Mike." Levi growled and covered his head with his blankets. 

"Come on Levi, wake up, I need your help!" Eren said pulling the blankets off the smaller man. 

"Eren, what could you have possibly done by 6am. You don’t even get out of bed until afternoon on Sundays." Levi demanded, sitting up and looking at the wide eyed Alpha who's cheeks were turning pink as he tried to hide the smile at the sight of Levi's bedhead. Levi just growled quietly. 

"So you know that party I had the other day. At my parent's house..." Eren began nervously. 

"Eren, please do not tell me you haven't cleaned up a party you had  _two_  nights ago" Levi said, pinching the bridge of his nose as Eren ducked his head down in embarrassment at the accurate accusation. 

"The stains! You can't let dirt like that sit!" Levi demanded dramatically. 

"I know! I'm sorry! But that's why I need your help! You are the best person I know at cleaning. I'll buy you dinner, pleeeeeaase." Eren begged and Levi glared into his big beautiful green eyes; he had a weakness for them, he found it nearly impossible to say no when faced with the shiny pleading oceans, not that he would ever admit that to the younger man. Levi rolled his eyes. 

"Fine!" He growled throwing the blanket off himself and getting out of bed. He grabbed some clothes out of his drawer and turned to find Eren's eyes fixated on him. He felt himself blush as he realized he had only been wearing small boxers and a tank top to bed; he was completely covered but it was a little more revealing than he was used to people seeing, especially Eren. He shifted his weight between his legs, using the small bundle of clothes to hide himself from Eren who had finally snapped out of his trance. 

"I'm going to grab a shower then we can go. I won’t be long." Levi said before dashing out of the room. 

Levi didn't take long showers, he was in and out in only a few minutes, coming out with a towel around his neck to catch the few stray drops of water still in his hair. He saw Erwin in his doorway leaning on the frame, laughing at whatever Eren was saying to him. 

"Sounds like quite the party." Erwin chuckled. "I believe Levi mentioned it the other day but he stayed in with us the other night." He added. 

"Yeah, I invited him but he said he wasn't feeling up to it." Eren said, the amusement leaving his tone. Levi listened quietly, he wasn't sure why he was hiding, but he was interested to see what Erwin and Eren would talk about. 

"I don’t think Levi enjoys big parties, we’ve gone to a few but he only enjoys himself if he has someone to stick with throughout the night. He's a little anxious in large crowds... and I believe Connie was out of town wasn't he?" Erwin explained, adding the last part in haste, being one of the few who knew Levi's secret. What he said was true, and of course Erwin would know these little details about him, Erwin knew him probably better than he knew himself, but he still found it embarrassing to hear out loud. 

"I was there!" Eren said defensively. 

"You have a girlfriend, don't you? Levi doesn't like to impose, not even with Mike and I and we've been together so long we've gotten boring." Erwin laughed almost bitterly, though to an untuned ear it would have gone undetected. Eren remained quiet for a moment before giving off a chuckle. 

"I'm sure you're not boring! You guys should totally come hang out with us some time!" Eren said. 

"We'll see." Erwin said as though he were actually thinking about when Levi finally came out of his hiding place, walking up as though he hadn’t heard a thing. 

"We'll see what?" He asked. 

 

 

"Good Morning. I was just talking to Eren while you were in the shower. I have to admit, I was surprised to see an Alpha in your bed this morning." Eren smirked. 

"Yeah well, you can blame your boyfriend for letting him in." Levi grumbled, trying not to blush. 

"Yes, he was telling me. He was also telling me of the party mess you two are about to clean up. Don’t have too much fun!" Erwin chuckled, Levi rolled his eyes and Eren got up from where he was sitting, finally letting go of the pillow he was still holding, it was probably going to smell like him now. 

"You owe me one." Levi said to the young Alpha whose face lit up un a smile as he nodded and followed him out. 

 

They got in Eren's car and drove until they were just outside the main part of the city; it was a very nice area with large houses and beautiful properties. 

"This is where you live?" Levi asked as they pulled into an exceptionally nice house. 

"My parents live here. I live with Armin a few blocks from you." Eren reminded. "But yeah, this is where we moved when we came here." He added. 

"It's bigger than the little house we lived in." Levi said with a soft smile, remembering his little apartment he shared with his mother. 

"Yeah, Dad's a big shot doctor now, I don't think we need all this but whatever. It's good for parties." Eren laughed. 

"Do they know you had a party?" Levi raised a brow. 

"They know I had people over.. As for the party.. Let's just clean it up." Eren grinned and Levi laughed lightly and they headed inside. 

The place was a mess, Levi cringed as he took it all in; solo cups scattered around, garbage on the floor, spilled drinks and dirt everywhere. Eren looked bashful beside him. 

"Alright, let's get started. Where does Carla keep the cleaning supplies?" Levi asked. 

"Downstairs in the closet." Eren said as he led Levi downstairs. Levi stocked up on everything; glass cleaner, furniture polish, disinfectant, hot water, everything he could find before bringing it up and starting to scrub. 

 

 

They cleaned for hours, Levi was actually impressed with how well Eren could clean, maybe the cleaning up after himself Levi had made Eren do as children had stuck with him. 

"Alright! Garbage is all in the bin!" Eren said proudly as he walked in through the kitchen door.  

"Good, I think we're finally finished." Levi said as he wiped down the counter after washing up the last of the dishes. 

"Thanks Levi, I really owe you one." Eren smiled leaning on the counter. 

"It's fine. I will take you up on that by you letting me use your shower though, I'm sweating like a pig and probably smell worse." Levi said looking down at himself in distain. Eren laughed. 

"Nah, you smell really nice actually." Eren said with a smile. "But you're more than welcome to use the shower." He added hastily and led Levi to the upstairs. 

"This area could probably use some dusting." Levi said as they walked through the hall. "How long have your parents been gone?" He asked, looking around at the pictures and artwork on the walls. 

"Six months actually. Dad had a work course thing. I can’t remember if he was teaching it or learning it or I don’t even know, I should probably pay more attention huh?" Eren said with an adorably goofy grin. 

"When are they coming back?" Levi asked, trying to hide the smile at how cute the Alpha could be. 

"Wednesday." Eren said. "I need a shower too, so why don’t you go in the one off the Master Bedroom and I'll use the main bathroom." He suggested. 

"Is that okay?" Levi asked as Eren led him into his parent's bedroom. 

"Yeah it's fine, I'll get you a towel and some clothes." Eren said, running down the hall. Levi looked around the room a little, he knew he probably shouldn’t have but he couldn't help but to look at the pictures he found; a couple baby pictures of Eren, some with his friends as he grew up, family vacation pictures. Then there was one, tucked away in the corner of Carla's dresser, behind her jewelry box, almost hidden as though it didn’t want to be seen.  

Levi reached around and picked up the frame, it was a picture of him when he was 14 years old, it was his second heat and he was curled up in Eren's arms, both asleep and content looking. There was also a wallet size picture in the corner of the frame of Levi and Kuchel when he was 8 years old, sitting in her lap with her arms around him and face pressed beside his as they both smiled their identical barely there smiles. Levi felt himself tearing up as he stared at the picture frame. 

"Mom broke down crying when she developed it. She forgot she had taken it and framed them together. She can't bear to look at it most of the time but she's never taken it down." Eren said. 

"Can I see her when they get back?" Levi whispered and felt Eren's arms around him from behind and pulled him close. Alpha scent surrounding him, comforting and soothing him. 

"Of course. I told them a few days ago. I didn't want the news to affect their trip so I waited because knowing mom she would have jumped on a plane instantly. She is so excited, you might need to pick them up from the airport with me." Eren chuckled and Levi nodded with a small laugh, leaning into Eren.  

He felt so good in Eren's arms, even if it was strictly platonic. If he could have Eren, even if it was just like this and have one of his mother's back... Life couldn’t be so bad then could it. If he could be content on being wanted by the people he lost maybe that would be enough to make him better. 

"I know I've said it already but I'm not sure you understand how happy I am to have you back. We all are." Eren said pulling away with a smile before giving Levi a towel and a small bundle of clothes. 

"If it's anything how I feel then yeah I do." Levi said with a shy smile, Eren pulled him into another hug before pulling away quickly. 

"Come on, let's get those showers before I start crying." He laughed. 

"What, big strong Alpha can handle a few tears?" Levi teased, Eren grinned and rolled his eyes before heading out. Levi made his way to the bathroom.  

Levi took a longer shower than normal, but he was having a good time playing with the different water settings. He was still out of the shower long before Eren, dressing himself in the clothes Eren had provided; a shirt much too big for his small frame and a pair of sweatpants with a drawstring he had to pull tight to keep them up. 

 

"Hello?? Eren, are you here? Your car is in the driveway." Levi heard a familiar voice call out after the squeak of the front door. Levi paled and his heart sped up; he didn't know what to do, Eren was still in the shower, he wasn't ready to go spring himself on his parents. But they were right there, Carla was in the house with him right now, he wanted to go run into her arms. Kimi had been a good mother figure for the past 9 years but she wasn't Carla. If he couldn't feel is actual mother's arms around him ever again then Carla's would be the next best thing. 

"Eren? Where are you?" Grisha's voice called up from doorway. "We could use help with the bags." He added. 

"He's..um.. He's in the shower." Levi said shyly from the top of the stairs; Carla and Grisha freezing at the sound and looking up at him. 

"Oh my god. Levi?" Carla said, her eyes filling with tears as she dropped her things and held her arms out to him. He came down the stairs as quick as he could and threw himself at the woman. She sobbed as she held him tightly. 

"It's you. Eren told me 3 days ago that he met you again, I couldn't believe it. And you're here! What are you doing here? It doesn't matter, oh I missed you so much!" She cried as she clung to him, before pulling away but holding him at arm's length. 

"Look at you! You're all grown up, you're beautiful! You look so much like Kuchel." She said as a fresh batch of tears flowed down her cheeks and she pulled him in again. "I miss her so much. I missed the both of you every day." She said. 

"I missed you too. I'm sorry, I had no idea what Kenny.." Levi started and Carla pulled away shaking her head. 

"It doesn't matter, you're here now." She said and Levi felt his own eyes drip. 

"It’s great to see you Levi." Grisha smiled, patting Levi's back. 

"Thanks Dr. Jeagar." Levi smiled. 

"Mom, Dad, you're home early." Eren said coming down the stairs. 

"Yes, what are you two doing here?" Carla asked, leading them into the living room, refusing to let go of Levi's arm, as they sat down on the couch; Levi sandwiched between Eren and Carla. 

"We were just cleaning the place up for you." Eren said. 

"In other words, those 'few friends' you had over the other night turned into a full out party and you had to enlist Levi to help you clean. I assume your cleaning skills haven’t changed." Carla grinned at Levi. 

"Uncanny." Levi grinned and she laughed. 

"Eren, how about you help me with the bags? Let Levi and your mother catch up." Grisha suggested. Eren nodded and got up to follow him out. 

 

"I couldn't believe when Eren said you had reunited. You've been here in Trost so long and we haven’t run into you." Carla said. 

"Yeah, it was crazy. I didn't think I'd.... ever see you again." Levi choked out. 

"How have you been? How was your life? Did Kenny treat you okay?" Carla asked with concern in her voice. 

"He was fine. We're a little on the outs at the moment but all along he treated me well, took care of me the best he could. I also had my Aunt and Uncle that cared for me how Kenny couldn't. I have a great family and made some amazing friends." Levi said and Carla looked relieved but also extremely sad. 

"I still missed my first family every minute of it. I was glad for the family I had but I needed you too." Levi said. 

"I'm glad for them too, I was so worried about you. I might have to call your Aunt and thank her." Carla smiled. Levi imaged Carla and Kimi speaking and spending time together, they would probably get along very well; and probably fuss over him insufferably. The thought brought a small smile to his face. 

 

Levi and Eren stayed for dinner, Carla demanding every detail of Levi's life for the last near decade while they ate the take out Grisha had ordered. When it was time to leave Carla hugged him tightly and way longer than the situation called for but Levi couldn't even pretend to mind, he missed her as much as she had missed him. He promised to visit and call her regularly, and it wasn't just for her benefit. 

 

"Sorry if Mom came on a little strong, but I guess you know how she is." Eren said with a smile when he pulled up by Levi's building. 

"No, she was fine. I really missed her too. I had a really great time today." Levi said. 

"Good, me too. We should definitely spend more time together." Eren said and Levi gave him a soft smile and a nod. He had been avoiding Eren a little as he tried to get over him but today had been so nice just being with Eren, just being friends with him with barely any thought of something more. If he was around Eren more and accepted their friendship as it was maybe that was the better route to getting better.  

"Goodnight Eren." Levi said, reaching over and giving Eren a light kiss on his cheek before climbing out of the car. He wasn't sure why he did it, it just felt like the right way to thank Eren for the day he had, he felt himself blushing all the way to the door of his building before looking back to find Eren's car still waiting by the curb, he raised his hand in a wave before heading inside. 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the next few weeks Levi and Eren had spent much more time together and it was great; they were becoming the friends they had been when they were children. Carla had insisted they come over for supper twice a week, sometimes accompanied by Armin, once Mina came over but she hadn't been in the best mood. Levi and Carla had even gone out for lunch or an evening coffee one or twice on their own. 

Levi was happier than he had been in a long time, he felt like he had his family back; like he was wanted and loved by the people who he had wrongly thought had forgotten about him. He had never been so happy to be wrong. 

He and Carla would reminisce about Kuchel, something he hadn't been able to do with anyone since she had died and surprisingly it didn't hurt at all, it was actually very nice to talk about her. They had even planned to go visit her together the next time Levi had some time off work. 

 

Spending time with Eren was enjoyable; sometimes he still felt the constricting tightness in his chest or the urge to cough with the feel of something in his throat but for the most part they had a lot of fun just being friends. They would get together during their free time, talk about everything and nothing all at once; Eren's new job, Levi's clumsiness versus his new hobby of yoga, what all their friends were up to. 

Levi felt like he was getting better, felt like what he was doing for himself was actually working. Maybe he wouldn't end up like his mother, maybe he would beat it all on his own. Maybe someday soon he would meet someone that he could fall in love with; Eren would be happy for him, Mina would stop hating him and they could be couple friends for the rest of their lives.  

That was too much to worry about at the moment, for now he was just going to worry about his renewed and blossoming friendship. 

 

"So Mina is having a party before she goes on her family vacation, she really wants you to come." Eren said as the two walked through the park, frozen beverages in hand on the warm summer evening. 

"Does she?" Levi raised an unconvinced eyebrow. 

"Fine,  _I_  really want you to come." Eren said with a sigh. 

"Connie told me about it this morning. You know how I feel about parties though." Levi said sipping his drink. 

"I know, but it'll be fun! And your boyfriend will be there this time so you won't be alone. And I'll be there..." Eren said with a pleading look in his eye. Levi took a deep breath and sighed dramatically. 

"Fiiiine. Can I bring Erwin and Mike? Erwin's going through a crisis where he thinks he's boring and old." Levi asked. 

"Of course." Eren laughed. "Why would he think that?" 

"Because they just stay in all the time and don't go out and party like normal twenty somethings." Levi explained. 

"Aww, but they're so cute." Eren grinned. "But yeah, definitely, if they want to come there's no problem." He added. 

 

 

 

 

 

"I can't believe you guys are coming!!" Hange squealed as Mike and Erwin emerged from their bedroom ready for the party. Erwin was definitely trying too hard, wearing clothes a little too current for his usual tastes and his hair purposefully messy for the first time since he was in high school. He looked adorable but a little uncomfortable. 

"You guys look great!" Petra smiled, sliding her arm around Hange's waist to rein her girlfriend in. 

"Thanks, so do all of you." Erwin said with a small blush. 

"I really like your shirt Levi, never seen that one on you before." Mike smirked and Levi glared. 

"He's still wearing my stuff, he really needs to go shopping for nice clothes." Petra laughed. 

"I don't like parties." Levi mumbled. 

"What about when you go on dates with Connie?" Hange wiggled her eyebrows and laughed. 

"You know as well as I do that we're not actually dating. Besides I'm sure he wouldn't care what I worse if we were." Levi defended. 

"It's true, that kid has be idolizing you since he met you." Petra laughed.  

"God knows why." Levi mumbled. "We ready now?" He asked as they all nodded in agreement and made their way downstairs to grab a cab. 

 

 

"Hey babe, there you are!" Connie said running up to Levi when the five of them walked in. 

"Hey." Levi smiled, linking his arm through Connie's as his eyes scanned the room, finding Reiner with his eyes on them. "Do you think it's time we stop pretending, Reiner is looking like sad lovesick puppy." Levi asked, his lips close to Connie's ear as though he were whispering something important. It wasn't that he minded doing this for his friend, it had no effect on his life, romantic or not, but he hated to see someone pining away with hurt feeling. Unrequited love was a dangerous thing to play with; while not many people were prone to the related disease, no one invulnerable to it. 

"Y-yeah. Just um.. Give me tonight. I promise I'll talk to him soon." Connie said nervously and Levi noticed the slight elevation of his scent. 

"You know, just because you tell him doesn’t mean you have to rush anything. You don’t owe anyone anything, especially not a heat if you're not ready." Levi said quietly and Connie's eyes widened slightly before he nodded. 

"You're right.. Of course you're right, you're always right." He smiled. 

"No I'm not. Really." Levi said awkwardly. 

"You're really cute too. It's too bad we didn't date for real." Connie said, kissing Levi's already burning cheek and laughing at his reaction before they walked over to a group of people.  

"Levi!" Eren smiled when they joined the group. 

"Wow, you actually came." Mikasa smirked. "Someone pulled you out of your cave?" She added. 

"Yeah yeah, I'm antisocial." Levi said smiling and elbowing his cousin before looking over at Mina who had her arms crossed and Eren's arm around her shoulders, leaning into him while she watched him. 

"Thanks for inviting me Mina." He said politely. 

"I didn't." She said simply. 

"Oh, well thanks for letting me come then." He said and she shrugged and turned away to speak with Sasha and Annie. 

 

The party was pretty fun, Levi had to admit. He spent time mingling with different groups of his friends and some people he had never met. He spent the beginning of the party with Connie who was much more social than he way but he was so much fun and exciting to be around that everyone enjoyed his company, even Levi had a good time.  

They did end up separated after a while but Levi had found Erwin and Hange playing Beer Pong; Hange practically screaming with excitement and Erwin probably drunker than Levi had ever seen him. His face was flushed, his eyes hazy, and a goofy smile on his face as he threw back the beer in the solo cup the ball had landed in. 

"He seems to be having fun." Levi said, standing next to Mike who chuckled as he sipped his own drink. 

"He does." He said fondly. 

"Think he's going to be hung over tomorrow?" Levi asked. 

"One hundred percent." Mike laughed and so did Levi. 

"He's worried you're getting tired of him." Levi said after a moment and Mike looked legitimately surprised. 

"I tried to tell him you weren't but he had a hard time believing me. Maybe you can do something to convince him?" Levi suggested. Mike's eyes focused on Erwin, he didn't say anything but he nodded. 

 

 

 

"Are you having fun?" Eren asked, coming up behind Levi as he had been wandering around alone for a few minutes. 

"Hey!" Levi said with a smile, he wasn't drunk but he wasn't exactly sober either. "Yeah it's not bad, but I lost my people." He added. 

"Good thing I'm here then." Eren smiled and linked his arm though Levi's. 

"Better not do that, Mina is not exactly happy that I'm here." Levi said trying to pull away but Eren wouldn't let him. 

"Well she's going to have to get over it. You're my best friend and I'm clingy. I'm close with Armin too and she doesn't care. Besides she's been doing the same thing with Thomas, she's made that we've been getting closer so she's spending more time with him; they've been friends since they were children what’s the difference?" Eren rambled, his words slightly slurred; drunk lipsy Eren was a pretty cute Eren. 

"She'll figure out how great you are; how sweet and adorable you can be, then she’ll fall in love with you like everyone else does." He added with a sloppy grin. Levi felt himself blushing. 

"It would be nice for your girlfriend to not hate me." He smiled. 

"I really hate to leave you but I was on my way to the bathroom, I really have to pee. Mikasa and Sasha are in the kitchen if you want to find them, I'll come after." Eren said and Levi laughed, pushing him to go on. 

He did make his way to the kitchen, Sasha was eating, unsurprisingly, while Mikasa and Annie were having an in-depth conversation about fighting techniques and Bertolt was standing behind his girlfriend; his arms around her and happily listening quietly to the conversation, nodding a hello when Levi walked in. 

Levi mostly listened to the conversation as he made himself another drink. He sat on the counter beside his cousin as they changed the topic of conversation and included him. It was nice a quiet in the kitchen until a very worried looking Reiner walked in. 

"Hey Levi. Can I um.. Talk to you?" He asked nervously. Levi looked at him seriously before hopping down from the counter. 

"Yeah." He said, following the distressed smelling Alpha into the almost empty hallway. 

"I need to tell you something, you're probably not going to like it but please don't be mad at him, it was all me I promise. I lost control for a minute and.." Reiner rambled, not meeting Levi's eyes. 

"Calm down Reiner, I won't get upset, just tell me what happened." Levi said and the Alpha took a deep breath. 

"Levi you were one of my best friends growing up and well I haven’t seen you in years but I still feel like we're friends. Good friends." He said. 

"We are!" Levi insisted. 

"I kissed Connie. I'm really sorry but I've liked him for a while, before I even knew he was your boyfriend. Not that that is an excuse but we were talking just now and it just kind of happened! I'm so sorry, you don’t deserve that and it won’t happen again! And it was all me! He didn’t do anything wrong." Reiner rambled and Levi tried not to smile, this man was completely heartbroken over what he had done; it was sweet and he was obviously still the person Levi believed him to be. He was about to put his hand on Reiners shoulder and tell him it was okay but was interrupted. 

"Hey! don’t you speak to him!" Eren growled angrily stepping into the hallway, a wide-eyed Connie running after him. 

"You think you can make out with his boyfriend and then go talk to him like it was nothing?" Eren demanded. 

"Hey Eren, no, you've got the wrong idea." Reiner said, holding his hands up in submission but Eren was too enraged and intoxicated to even realize as he made his way towards the other Alpha, looking ready to attack. 

"Whoa Eren, calm down." Levi said, grabbing Eren's arm to stop him from getting closer to Reiner. They had drawn a crowed now as well with the growling and the scents of dominance and rage filling the area. 

"He hurt you." Eren growled, eyes trained on Reiner who actually looked scared despite being bigger and possibly stronger than the angry Alpha, he obviously didn’t want to fight, the two had been friends since they were children.. since the last time they had fought over Levi. 

"No! He didn't, I promise he didn't. Me and Connie, we're not actually together." Levi pleaded and both Alpha's looked at him in surprise. 

"It's true. I panicked because I liked Reiner, Levi just went along with it because he's such a good guy." Connie said, running over to Reiner. 

"Come one Eren, calm down. You and Reiner have been friends forever, you don't need to fight or something that isn’t even a thing." Levi pleaded, once again wishing he had a strong enough scent to calm Eren and pull him out of his haze. His words seemed to help as Eren untensed his muscles, he still glared at Reiner but he was no longer in attack mode. 

"You didn’t know this any more than I did and you still kissed him. Don't you ever hurt my Omega again." Eren growled and Levi's eyes widened at the words, his chest tightening and his heart racing at hte words. 

"Eren!" Mina's voice shouted, all eyes moving to her as she stood looking hurt and angry, only then did Eren realize what he said; pain filling his eyes as he looked from Mina to Levi before she turned to leave. He looked at Levi, as though he was torn between staying with him or running after her, Levi felt his heart break all over again as he mouthed 'go'. Eren nodded though his eyes looked as if he were in anguish over the situation before he took off after her, shouting her name. 

  

Levi felt eyes on him; mostly confused, some sympathetic, some angry, then the ones of his closest friends; Hange, Erwin, Petra, even Armin looked as hurt over the situation as he was. Though they couldn't be, there was no way they could feel the burning in his lungs and throat, the painful twisting of his chest. Eren had looked torn, he looked as though he had considered staying with Levi, wanting Levi.  

But in the end, he had chosen Mina. 

 

 

Levi couldn't breathe; he had to get away, he had to get out of the crowd. he heard his friends call his name as he rushed past them, ignoring their pleas for him to stop, he kept going until he reached a bathroom, feeling the tears falling down his face as his throat was closing off. He tried to shut the bathroom door behind him but Hange blocked it, pushing her way inside after him as he collapsed in her arms in a fit of coughing. She held him tight, closing the door for some privacy as she rubbed his back while he sobbed and choked, barely able to get any air into his lungs. 

When he finally was able to take in a deep breath he collapsed into Hange's chest weakly as his blurry vision slowly came into focus, eyes widening as he saw the blood speckled blue flower petals in Hange's hand.  

He moved away from her in a hurry, snatching the petals away from her and flushing them down the toilet. 

"L-levi.." She whispered, her eyes wide and filled with terror. He ran the water in the sick to rinse his is mouth from the metallic and perfume taste that clung to his tongue. 

"T-that's.. that's Hanahaki." She stammered. "It's--" 

"I know what it fucking is Hange, my mother died of it." Levi snapped, regretting it instantly as he looked at her through the mirror; tears streaming down her face. 

"How long? Why didn't you tell me? You can't die Levi! You can’t!!" She sobbed and Levi turned towards her, kneeling down and hugging her as her body trembled violently. 

"I won't! I promise! I've been working on it. It's been getting better I promise. You can't tell anybody, please don’t tell anyone. Not even Petra." Levi pleaded and she looked up at him in shock. 

"Why do you have to do it on your own??" She nearly screamed. "I love you Levi! We all love you! We can help you through this! Erwin can get you a good doctor and it can all be over!" She begged. 

 

"I can't forget him Hange. I.. just can't." Levi said, feeling his own tears streaming down his face. She looked at him, speechless for the first time since he's known her. 

"Please don't tell anyone. You can help me, I'll beat it, I promise. i just don’t want anyone else to know." Levi whispered and she stared at him for a long moment before nodding sadly and wrapping her arms around him once more. 

"Okay."  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone requested happy... There is some happy in there... (sorry)
> 
> Please tell me what you think!  
> I love comments, they all make me very happy (which to be honest I been having a pretty hard time with).  
> You guys are amazing and I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far.
> 
> I have another loop or two to throw you through so stay tuned!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy! Guess who is not blind!  
> Still a terrifying and stressful procedure but as far as pain goes I'm doing pretty good.
> 
> Supposed to be limiting my computer use but lucky for you I finished this chapter over the weekend!  
> I'll even post it a little bit early since I love you guys.
> 
> Next chapter may still be affected though so I apologize in advance.
> 
> Also please note: in the last chapter I had Ilse Langnar thrown in as a random unimportant character but I have somewhere I like much better for her in the next chapter so I changed her to Hitch (Her name was there like twice so it's a very inconsequential change but just in case someone noticed when I use her again.)
> 
> Please Enjoy!

The morning after the party Erwin had the hangover from Hell, Mike had a shit eating grin, Hange wouldn't leave their apartment, and Levi was ignoring Eren's phone calls. 

 

It's not even that Levi was mad at him, he just didn't know what to say to the Alpha. Eren had clearly been drunk and in his protectiveness of his friend he had said something he no longer meant. Levi had just overreacted that’s all, and now he didn't know what to say to make it right, to make Eren believe he was unaffected by it. 

Convincing Hange he was okay was another story. She had sat on the bathroom floor with Levi for nearly an hour before they had both calmed down enough to leave, find Erwin and Mike, and get a cab back to the apartment. 

 

Erwin had been quite hilarious with his giggles and clumsiness, it had proved to be a mood lightener and even had Levi smiling before the night was over. Though even in his state of intoxication, Erwin didn't forget to ask Levi how he was doing and show true, albeit hazy concern.  

Levi was grateful for Erwin's concern; even Hange's concern was somewhat welcome, though he would have preferred she ease off a little. It just proved how wonderful his friends were and that he could depend on them to be there for him whenever he needed. 

He did feel guilty for keeping his sickness from them. He didn't want to burden them but Erwin would be just as upset as Hange was for not telling him. He just couldn't bring himself to do it, he couldn't let everyone know that he was so weak. He would get over it, now with Hange's help they would beat this and he would be fine. 

Maybe Eren running after Mina was the best thing that could have happened to him; now he knew without a doubt that Eren did not love him, not romantically at least. They were best friends, brothers even, that's what they would stay, and he would ignore the burning in his chest at the thought of it. 

 

It was getting late in the morning and Hange was finally starting to stir. He had Levi pinned underneath her for most of the night; refusing to leave him alone, even for a moment, and sleeping beside him in his bed. He didn't mind, her warmth and her presence comforted him more than he thought it could and he smiled at her as she opened her eyes. 

"Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked. 

"I'm good, I promise." Levi said as she sat up and stretched. 

"How often does it happen?" Hange asked. 

"Not often. I'm been getting better, last night was just a slip up. I had too much to drink and I overreacted." Levi explained. 

"I want to take you to a doctor." Hange stated, her eyes hard and her face serious. 

"I don't need to see a doctor. I told you, I'm handling it. It's getting better." Levi assured. 

"It didn't look better last night." Hange said coldly. 

"It's the first time I had a fit in weeks! I've been working on my feelings, accepting reality. I will beat this Hange, I promise." Levi said and her face softened. 

"You have to." She said sadly. "I can't live without you Levi, none of us can." She added, her eyes watery. 

"I will." He promised. 

 

 

 

"Hey, how's it going?" Levi asked as he came out of his room to find Erwin laying on the couch with his feet on Mike's lap and a bucket within reach. 

"oooh my goooooooddd." Erwin groaned, burying his face in the pillow 

"That good huh?" Levi laughed. 

"I don't think we'll be going to many more parties." Mike chuckled, smiling at his boyfriend. 

"Hey, no, last night was so much fun! Being hungover is just was you do in your twenties." Erwin said almost convincingly, then held his head, groaning again. 

"Sure Babe." Mike laughed, patting his leg lightly. "Where's Hange?" He asked looking at Levi. 

"She went back to sleep when she finally freed me, think she's a little hungover as well." Levi said. 

"How about I go get us all something greasy for breakfast. Will you tend to the sick?" Mike asked with a smirk. 

"Sure." Levi chuckled as Mike got up and leaned down to Erwin, brushing his hair off his forehead and kissing him lightly. Levi smiled at the two and sat down in Mike's now vacant spot. 

"How are you?" Erwin asked, sitting up and wrapping the blanket around himself. 

"I'm fine. I didn't drink that much." Levi shrugged. 

"No, I mean with.. Everything. Last night.. Eren." Erwin said cautiously. 

"I was hoping you'd be too drunk to remember that." Levi said quietly. 

"I'll admit, everything from a certain point last night is a bit hazy, but drunk or not I know when my friend is hurting." Erwin said. 

"I'm fine, really. I overreacted, that's all." Levi assured, Erwin didn't look convinced but let it be, giving Levi a small smile. 

"So, I guess you'll be going to all the parties from now on?" Levi raised a brow with a smirk. 

"Oh my god, this is horrible, I never want to drink again." Erwin moaned. 

"Then why did you tell Mike you loved it dumbass?" Levi laughed. 

"He looked like he was having so much fun last night! Socializing, partying, things we never do but he obviously wants to." Erwin said, his shoulders drooping dejectedly. 

"In all fairness, you looked like you were having a good time too. Maybe Mike pretended like you did, now he didn’t go over the top and compete in the Beer Pong Grand Slam, but maybe he thought you were enjoying yourself so he made you believe he was too." Levi explained. 

"But why wouldn't he just say something to me?" Erwin asked and Levi raised a brow and the hypocriticalness of Erwin's statement. "I know, I know. I'm pathetic." He said, slumping his shoulders. Levi linked his arm through Erwin's and leaned his head on the larger man's shoulder. 

"You and me both." He said. 

 

Erwin had thrown his blanket around Levi as the two of them cuddled on the couch waiting for Mike to come back with food; Hange joining after a few minutes and squeezing under the blanket.  

 

"Now that's cute." Mike said, walking into the apartment with a handful of bags and taking out his phone to snap a picture. Levi didn't smile; he rarely did, but being sandwiched between his best friends was one of his favorite places to b, he'd have to ask Mike for that picture. 

"Dude, what took you so long?" Hange whined, reaching for the grease stained bag. 

"You were asleep when I left!" Mike chuckled, keeping it out of reach. 

"I had to go to the grocery store to get Gatorade and there was a line at the diner." Mike said handing Erwin and Hange a bottle each. 

"Levi will you help me with the food?" Mike asked, Levi nodded and followed him, grabbing some plates as Mike laid the bags on the counter. Levi turned around to find Mike holding a small box with a thin diamond ring inside. 

"Mike.. This is so sudden." Levi said, as Mike snapped the box closed with a glare. 

"I'm kidding. I'm sorry, it's beautiful, he's going to love it." Levi smiled up at the large Alpha. 

"You said he thought I was tired of him, it's quite the opposite actually." Mike said quietly. 

"Is that why you've been working so much?" Levi asked. Mike nodded. 

"I wanted to use my own money. Erwin makes so much more than I do and he pays for almost everything, but I wanted to do this myself." Mike explained. 

"That's amazing Mike, I'm so happy for you two." Mike said, reaching up to give him a hug. 

"Think he’ll say yes?" Mike chuckled nervously. 

"Without a doubt." Levi smiled. 

"Will you help me make it special?" Mike asked. 

"Of course, whatever you want." Levi said happily as they busied themselves with dishing out breakfast for the two in the other room. 

 

 

Petra had joined them in the afternoon; the four of them lazing on the couch watching movies and snacking for the day. 

"Come in!" Hange yelled when there was a knock on the door, none of them wanting to get up from the comfort of their cocoon. 

"Levi?" Eren said, stepping cautiously into the living room. Levi's heart dropped and his chest tightened as his eyes took in the beautiful Alpha with sadness in his eyes. "Can I talk to you?" He asked.  

Hange's grip tightened on Levi but he brushed her off gently, giving her a soft smile before he stood up and led Eren to his bedroom. 

"What's up?" Levi asked nonchalantly. He couldn't allow Eren to know how upset he had been, how upset he still was. There was no reason for him to be, he had already known there was nothing there, if he had listened to himself and made himself get over his feelings for the younger man, then his reaction from last night would never have happened. 

"I'm so sorry." Eren said, leaning against the door, almost afraid to move any closer. 

"What for?" Levi asked, flopping down on his bed and looking over at Eren with a raised brow. Eren looked confused. 

"Last night. I..um." Eren stammered. 

"Don’t worry about it, you were drunk. You slipped, it was nothing." Levi said, avoiding Eren's eyes in hopes that the Alpha wouldn’t see straight through him. 

"O-oh." Eren said, walking over and sitting on the bed beside Levi. "You haven't answered my calls.. I thought you were mad." Eren said sadly. 

"Oh, no I haven't even looked at my phone all day. Sorry, I didn’t realize you were trying to call." Levi lied through his teeth, glancing at Eren who was looking down at his hands with his shoulders slumped as he nodded. 

"Good." He said sadly. "I'd hate for you to be upset with me." He looked up at Levi with a smile. 

"I'd never be upset with you." Levi said, returning Eren's smile with a small one of his own. Eren put his arm around Levi, giving him a side hug. 

"How are you and Mina?" Levi asked, trying not to focus on the warmth of Eren's arm around him. 

"We're okay. She was pretty mad but we worked it out. I should get back to her actually, she and her family are going on vacation tomorrow. Can we hang out soon? Without alcohol. I seem to fuck things up every time I drink." Eren laughed. 

"Yeah, that sounds nice." Levi smiled as Eren gave him another squeeze before heading out. Levi ignored the lump in his throat, forcing it back down where it belonged and went back out with his friends to continue binge watching Netflix and vegging on the couch. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"You've been hanging around a lot lately." Mikasa pointed out as she sat down on Hange and Petra's couch beside her cousin. "Not that I mind, you just don't usually spend so much time with us." She added. 

"Guess I realized I hadn't see you guys as often as I should." Levi said, which wasn't a lie, though he neglected to mention that Hange refused to let him out of her sight since the party. She insisted he keep contact with her throughout the day, update her on how he was feeling, what he was doing, if he even cleared his throat; he was surprised and not entirely convinced that she hadn't been following him to work. 

He couldn't bring himself to find her behavior annoying, he felt guilty for putting her through the worry of his condition, for making her keep his secret against her better judgement. He didn't want anyone to know, he didn't want anyone to fuss over him or be inconvenienced by him, but he couldn't help but to feel loved. The fact that she cared enough to react the way she was; threatening to bind, gag, and drag him to the hospital at the first hint of his sickness progressing, spending every free moment she possibly could with him.  

He was probably causing a strain in her relationship with Petra, even though Petra never seemed to mind him being there either, he'd have to give them some time to themselves as well, probably have to convince Hange he actually is getting better first. 

 

"Good, because I miss you when you're not around." Mikasa smiled at him as Sasha came in with an armful of snacks and flopped down beside Mikasa. Mikasa smiled at her girlfriend, kissing her gently before grabbing a handful of popcorn. 

"I was talking to Connie; he and Reiner are almost here." Sasha said between chews then looked over to Levi in realization. "Oh. Is that okay with you?" She asked. 

"We told you; Connie and I were never actually together, we just pretended for a bit because he was afraid of his feelings for Reiner." Levi explained with a soft chuckle. 

"It's true, I knew from the start." Hange said as he and Petra came in and squeezed together in the chair. 

"Though they did look pretty cute together." Petra giggled. 

"Of course they did, Levi is just cute, he'd look good with anyone." Mikasa smirked. 

"I am not cute." Levi grumbled. 

"It’s true, even we were cute together." Petra laughed. 

"That's because you're adorable too baby." Hange pulled her in for a kiss. 

"Hey!!" Connie called walking into the apartment. 

"Hey! We're having a debate, what's your opinion on Levi's cute level?" Sasha shouted. 

"Levi's fucking adorable, who's debating it?" Reiner laughed heartily. 

"Can we drop this?" Levi asked before getting up and heading to the kitchen for a glass of water; uncomfortable with the current topic. 

"Hey Levi?" Reiner asked hesitantly, following him into the kitchen. "We haven't really talked since the party, I just wanted to see how you were doing." He said. 

"I'm fine." Levi said shortly. "I'm sorry, but I really need people to stop asking me. Everything is good. Nothing actually happened." He added, guilty about the hurt expression Reiner was giving off. 

"No it's fine. I just wanted to ask.. Are we okay?" He asked timidly. 

"Of course. You didn't actually do anything. We weren't together." Levi assured.. 

"But I didn't know that! I didn't know you weren't together when I kissed him and I feel like I betrayed you. I'm really glad Connie and I are together now but I hate that I did something like that." Reiner explained and Levi's face softened. 

"You're a good guy Reiner, you always were, at least after the first time we met." Levi smirked and Reiner chuckled. "Love makes you do strange things, I don't blame you for it, I could see how much you liked him and I wanted to tell you sooner but it wasn't my place. If you need my forgiveness you have it." Levi said. 

"Thanks Levi." Reiner said, patting him on his back. "For what it's worth, I think Eren is an idiot." He added with a smile. 

"You always thought Eren was an idiot." Levi smirked. 

"Yeah but now he's an even bigger one." Reiner laughed and they went back out for the movie night. 

 

 

 

 

Even though he and Eren had cleared the air and had promised to spend time together, Levi had been avoiding the Alpha. Eren had asked him to coffee, walks, just hanging out like they had been doing all along but Levi always found a reason not to; usually it was Hange refusing to let him go out with Eren but he was also tentative to spend time alone with him.  

Maybe if he stopped being around him, the pain in his chest would go away. Though the thought of never seeing him again almost made it worse. He was fucked and he knew it. 

That's why he was currently staring at the building where Eren worked, psyching himself up to go inside. He was alone today since Jean had taken a sick day so he couldn't avoid Eren any longer. He grabbed the bin out of the truck and pulled it up the ramp and rand the buzzer. 

"Levi, Hi!" Eren said from the front desk, he was smiling but he also looked nervous, as though he knew Levi had been avoiding him. 

"Hey." Levi said walking up to the counter and laying the empty sacks down. "What are you working on?" He asked picking up the papers to straighten them out before laying them back down. 

"Entering Invoices. I put them in then I print them off and check them before I post them. Then I have to stamp them and sort by closed or not. The closed ones go into a folder to be signed by management and then they have to be set up for payment." Eren explained, pointing out the different sections of the program he was working with. 

"Seems complex." Levi said. 

"Nah it's not bad. Are you alone today?" Eren asked, looking around for Jean. "Do you need some help?" He added. 

"What are you going to do, hop in the van with me and help me on my rounds?" Levi lifted a brow. "I can handle it." He said with a smirk and left the front desk area and emptied the recycle paper bins before dragging them back out. 

 

"Levi, can we hang out tonight?" Eren asked suddenly as Levi waited for his machine to print the receipt. 

"I..uh.." Levi stammered in surprise. 

"Please. I miss you. I don't want you to be mad at me." Eren pleaded quietly. 

"I.. I'm not.." Levi started. 

"Then let's have dinner tonight. I get off at 5. Please?" Eren interrupted, Levi stared into Eren's impossibly large eyes, it was like getting lost an endless ocean; beauty he could never get used to. 

"Alright." He said and watched as Eren's face brightened up. 

"Great! I'll pick you up at around 5?" He asked. 

"I get off at 4, I'll meet you at your place." Levi said before hauling the sacks out the door and loading them into the truck. He had to stop worrying; he and Eren had become good friends again, he couldn't let the little slip up at the party ruin their progress. He had to stop dwelling, it couldn't be good for his condition, he had been doing well by accepting Eren as his friend, he'd go back to that and everything would be fine. 

 

Levi got off work at 4:00; going home to freshen up and then walking to Eren's apartment, it wasn't far away though it was the first time Levi had ever been there. He arrived only a few minutes before Eren did, waiting in the hall until Eren practically ran to the door. 

"Hey, you weren't waiting long were you?" He asked in a panic. 

"Nah, just got here." Levi said as Eren opened the door and led him in. 

"Just give me a couple minutes and we'll go." Eren said running into the bathroom. 

"Take your time." Levi called as he began looking around. It was a nice place; obviously owned by two college kids but not everyone could have sophisticated tastes like Erwin. There were mostly posters on the walls, figures displayed on shelves, a messy game setup. Levi did find a picture collage on one wall with pictures of Armin, Eren, and the rest of their friends; one in particular was a selfie of Eren and Mina, Mina was kissing Eren's cheek and the Alpha looked so happy. It pained Levi as much as he was glad that Eren had found someone to make him look like that, who was he to want to take that away from him. 

 

Eren soon came out of the bathroom and they made their way down to his car and to a restaurant. It was nothing special but it had a nice atmosphere and the food was good according to Eren who had gone here many times before. 

 

"Are you still mad at me?" Eren asked suddenly, after they had given their order and the waitress left, his eyes sad and avoiding Levi's gaze. 

"I was never mad at you." Levi said quietly, surprised that Eren had felt that way; the last things Levi could ever feel for Eren was anger, it wasn't his fault that he was in love with someone else. 

"You've been avoiding me. Since the party." Eren said, his voice trembling slightly. 

"I.. I'm sorry." Levi didn't know what else to say, he had been avoiding Eren and he didn't have an excuse other than he loved him, but if he told the younger man that he would ruin everything, wouldn’t he? 

"I don't want things to be weird. I know you probably think I still have feelings for you but I don't." Eren said and Levi's heart dropped to his stomach and he felt bile rising in his throat; it was one thing to assume but to hear it straight out.. 

"I mean I do love you and I always will, just not in a weird way.. I'm n.. not in love with you.. Anymore.." Eren added, refusing to make eye contact with Levi. "I guess how I used to feel about you spills over sometimes, I still feel protective of you, no one will ever hurt you if I can stop it. But I promise I'll try to calm down and I won't make it weird anymore." Eren explained, looking at Levi shyly. 

Levi wanted to leave, he wanted to throw up, he wanted to do anything but plaster this fake smile on his face. "I know you don't have feelings for me, we just have a weird relationship. I was never mad at you, I just don't want to cause strife between you and Mina." He explained, holding the smile until his face hurt, he couldn't let Eren know how pathetic he was; how he fell in love as a child and never grew up to realize it hadn't been real, how he made himself sick over a love that never was anything more than childish infatuation. 

"Always thinking of others." Eren said with a soft smile. 

"How is Mina? Is she enjoying her vacation?" Levi asked, ignoring the pain in his chest. 

"She is, she's been so busy she's barely been able to call me. I'm glad they're having fun, she's been on edge for a while since we became friends again, so it's nice that she can relax with Thomas, maybe she'll realize that our relationship is no different than theirs." Eren explained. 

"Thomas went with her?" Levi asked as the server placed their meals down in front of them, he looked up at her with a thank you. 

"Yeah their families are really close, they go together every year. It's nice because he's been going to school in Stohess so they haven't seen each other much the last couple years." Eren explained, he was extremely trusting, probably too much; Levi had seen how close Mina and Thomas had seemed at the party. He refused to make any assumptions about the girl he barely knew but if she hurt Eren in any way he would rip her throat out with his teeth. 

 

The rest of their dinner went well, they had switched to lighter topics and it became comfortable as it always was between the two. This was what Levi couldn't give up; being friends with Eren, being around him while they laughed and talked and just enjoyed each other's company. 

He sat on the park bench, watching Eren ordering frozen drinks at the cart nearby. He always had a big smile on his face and a friendly manner than was contagious to anyone he interacted with. Levi watched fondly as Eren engaged in a full out conversation with the cart owner, probably talking about something silly and unimportant but the other man seemed to be enjoying himself as well. Levi sighed before pulling out his phone. 

 

"Levi? Are you okay?" Hange's voice sounded panicked on the other end of the phone. 

"Yeah I'm okay." Levi said quietly "Listen, Hange... That doctor you mentioned.." 

"Will you see her? Please Levi? I'll make an appointment right now!" Hange said desperately. 

"I can't forget him... But I don't think I can do this on my own." Levi said quietly. 

"That's okay Levi, we'll figure something out. I'll call her first thing tomorrow morning." Hange said. 

"Thanks." Levi said quietly before ending their call as Eren walked up to him.

 

 

"Who was that?" Eren asked, holding out Levi's drink with a smile on his face. 

"Oh.. That was Mike, just discussing some finishing touches on Saturday." Levi lied. 

"What's on Saturday?" Eren asked as they began walking through the park. 

"Mike is proposing. We’ve got this whole thing planned. But do not tell anyone! Erwin doesn’t know a thing!" Levi ordered. 

"Oh my god, that is so sweet!" Eren said, his eyes shining. 

"I could use some help actually, how do you feel about being waiter for a night?" Levi asked. 

"Well I suppose I do owe you for cleaning up after my party. What do I have to wear?" Eren asked with a smile. 

"I don't own anything fancy so just your normal clothes is fine. Maybe put on black." Levi said with a shrug. 

"You know I think I still have one of my old suits, it would probably fit you.." Eren suggested. 

"Really? That might be an idea. Make the night a little more formal and romantic." Levi said with thought, he did want to make the night perfect for Erwin. 

"Great, I'll pick you up on Saturday, we'll go to Mom and Dad's house to get dressed." Eren said with a smile. Levi gave a nod as they continued their walk and Levi told Eren of the plans he and Mike had made. Eren smiling like an idiot all through it; ecstatic for the Alpha's he barely even knew. 

 

 

 

 

 

"We are not going to comment on the fact that a suit you wore 10 years ago fits me." Levi growled as he walked into Eren's old bedroom late Saturday afternoon wearing black dress pants, a white dress shirt and a black vest. 

"I guess we'll also not comment that it fits you like a glove." Eren snickered from across the room, earning himself a glare from the Omega. 

"Levi! You look so handsome, you barely even notice that it's a little loose in the shoulders." Carla giggled, walking in behind him and making Eren laugh even harder. 

"Yeah yeah, laugh at the tiny Omega, he can take it." Levi said crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance. 

"We tease because we love you." Carla said, putting her hands on his arms. "You do look gorgeous, as always." She smiled, making Levi blush. 

"Thanks." He mumbled. 

"Eren, why are you still here? Go get ready! You're going to be late!" Carla scolded, making Eren scurry out of the room. 

"It's so sweet what you're doing for your friends." Carla smiled as she started doing up Levi's bowtie. 

"They deserve it. They are two of the best people I've ever met, I'm really happy for them." Levi said with a soft smile. 

"I'm glad you made such good friends." Carla said and Levi nodded. 

"I don’t think I would have gotten through that first year without them." He said quietly. 

"Losing your Mother is devastating, you need to have people to help you through it." She said, looking into his eyes sadly. 

"I didn't just lose my mother. I lost you too." He said, willing his lip not to tremble. He and Carla had spoken of many things in the weeks since they had reunited, but this topic in particular they had steered clear of; it was too painful for either of them to talk about.  

Levi watched the tear slip down Carla's face as she lifted his chin with her finger. 

"I'm back now and you'll have a hell of a time getting rid of me." She smiled. 

"I wouldn't dream of it." Levi laughed and Carla hugged him. 

"So you friends are getting married. When are you going to find someone and settle down?" Carla teased after letting him go. 

"Probably never." Levi shrugged. 

"Oh no, you can't do that to me!" Carla gasped. 

"I'm not very good at dating. I've gone out with a few people but nothing serious since High School and that was Petra! That one only worked because we were such good friends, we should never had tried to be anything more." Levi laughed at the memories. 

"You'll find someone I'm sure. I thought Ere..." Carla stopped herself and shook her head. "The right person will come along I'm sure of it. And I want grandchildren!" She stated firmly but with a smile, Levi felt a lump in his throat. 

"I came into the wrong part of that conversation." Eren said wide eyed as he walked into the room, dressed in the same outfit as Levi yet Levi had to force himself not to drool. His broad shoulders, his long legs, his lean muscles; he filled out his outfit beautifully. 

"I don’t think I can help you with grandchildren, you'll have to ask Eren about that." Levi said with a fake chuckle. 

"If you don’t think that any children that you have won't be spoiled just as much as any he does then you've got another thing coming." Carla demanded. Levi gave her a smile and glanced over to Eren who was staring at them with a slight frown. 

"Alright, get going. You don’t want to be late!" Carla said, shooing them out of the room. They made their way down to Eren's car and back to Levi's apartment where they had to make their preparations. 

 

Levi put the finishing touches on the meals as Eren lit the candles laid out of the table just as they heard the door to the roof open with Mike leading Erwin through it. Levi watched with a smile as Erwin's eyes widened in surprise. 

"What is this?" He asked in shock, taking in the romantically set table in the middle of the rooftop, the soft music playing in the background, and the two men dressed as waiters for the evening. 

"You seemed a little upset lately, I wanted to do something special for you." Mike said, pulling out Erwin's chair for him to sit. 

"You planned this all by yourself?" Erwin asked as Levi walked over with a bottle of wine and began pouring it. 

"Not at all." Mike grinned glancing over to Levi and Erwin chuckled. 

"It was all his idea, I just helped with the details." Levi said with a smile. 

"It's amazing, thank you both." Erwin said and Eren placed a basket of bread in the middle of the table. "and Eren." He added and Levi led Eren away so the two could enjoy their romantic dinner. 

 

They served the courses and refilled their wine when needed but Levi and Eren stayed out of the way for most of the dinner, watching the two interact quietly. They really were the best couple; they had been together for years and Mike still looked at Erwin as though he were the most precious thing in the world. 

 

"Are you feeling better?" Mike asked as Eren and Levi cleared their plates. 

"Much, this was amazing, thank you Mike, I loved it." Erwin said with a big smile. 

"Are you going to tell me what's been bothering you?" Mike asked and Levi could see Erwin's blush from across the roof. 

"It's stupid. Don't worry about it." He said bashfully. 

"No, tell me." Mike said, lacing his large fingers through Erwin's. 

"I thought we were getting boring. I was getting boring" Erwin said quietly. 

"Oh?" Mike chuckled. 

"We never do anything. We sit at home every night and just read or watch tv or whatever other boring things we do. A night out is going to the grocery store for us!" Erwin exclaimed. 

"We went to that party the other day" Mike suggested though by the look of his smile he knew exactly how Erwin felt about that party. 

"It was crazy and chaotic! So much excitement and energy, I just wanted to go home." Erwin said exasperated. 

"You seemed to be having fun." Mike laughed. 

"I thought  _you_  were having fun! I thought you liked doing these things; going out with friends, going to parties. I figured I was holding you back. I am holding you back.. Maybe you're getting tired of me because all I ever want to do is stay in with you.." Erwin said, his head down and his voice low. 

 

"That's all i ever want to do." Mike said reassuringly and Erwin perked up. 

"But we're young! I'm not even 25 yet and I'm like an old man! Shouldn't we be wanting to go out and party with everyone? Drink excessively, spend the rest of the weekend recovering and not care about anything?" Erwin rambled only making Mike laugh at him. 

"That sounds terrible." He said simply 

"I know." Erwin sighed, hanging his head. 

  

"I love you Erwin. I love spending every day with you, doing nothing at all. I love cuddling on the couch while reading or watching tv, I love going for quiet evening walks together, or having our friends over for a visit to catch up and drink wine. I love being boring with you; going to the grocery store or washing dishes, whatever we do together, however menial or insignificant. You're all I need and all I will ever want." Mike said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small box he had been carrying around with him the last two weeks. 

 

Levi watched as Erwin's eyes widen with shock for the second time that night and a small stream of tears sliding down his face as he stared at his boyfriend. Levi felt the wetness on his own face as he watched Mike open the box and slip down onto his knee while Erwin's free hand covered his mouth. 

"Erwin, I love you so much, I want nothing more than to grow old with you, even if we're already there before we're 30." Mike said with a small grin, looking up at Erwin, his eyes filled with the purest love for the other man. Erwin nodded as Mike's grin turned into the biggest smile Levi had ever seen on the man and he slipped the ring on Erwin's finger before Erwin's arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. 

 

Levi looked over to Eren so he could lead him out to give the newly engaged couple some privacy and found him with his phone out, snapping pictures of the couple with a soft smile on his face. Levi tapped his arm to get his attention and the two went out into the stairwell that lead off the roof. 

 

"That was beautiful." Eren smiled as the two sat down on the steps. Levi nodded and wiped his face, it was beautiful and he was so happy he was able to witness such an event; Erwin and Mike were perfect for each other and had been from the start, Levi only wondered why it had taken so long.  

Eren chuckled and put his arm around Levi, pulling him in close. 

"Such a softy." He laughed. Levi glared up at him, though he was sure the ferocity was lost in the red nose and tear stained face he was probably sporting.  

"Don’t deny it." Eren laughed harder. 

"I'm really happy for them. They’ve been together a long time and they're so perfect for each other, it just.." Levi said, feeling more tears coming, he was unbelievably happy for the two and he couldn’t help to want the same thing for himself. Erwin always ensured him he would find someone but he could never picture being happy like that with anyone.. Anyone but Eren. Eren was unreachable, how was he ever going to find someone to love him so deeply, to look at him like Mike looked at Erwin every single day. Someone build a life and grow old with. 

"You're adorable." Eren smiled, making Levi blush slightly. "Imagine if we..." He added quietly but stopped himself. Levi felt his chest tighten and he couldn't bring himself to look at the Alpha. 

"I guess they'll probably be moving out soon, buy a house and get married, probably adopt some kids." Levi said changing the subject. "Maybe they'll get a surrogate or something, instead of adopting." He added in thought; then the babies would be biologically theirs, something they would probably like though that probably wouldn't matter to them in the end. 

"That might be nice, maybe they'll ask you, since you're such good friends." Eren suggested, though his face looked pained, as though he didn't like the taste of the words as he left his mouth. He probably only said it to add something to the conversation; what his mother had said earlier probably still fresh in his mind. 

"I probably would if I could.. But I.. can’t have children." Levi said quietly, feeling almost embarrassed over it, he had never told anyone this news; speaking of it only to Aunt Kimi and Kenny at the time they had found out. He assumed Mikasa knew as well but was sure she hadn't mentioned it to anyone. He felt Eren stiffen beside him, his scent flaring in mixed emotions of worry, protectiveness, and sadness. 

"Y-you can't? H-how. How do you know?" Eren stammered, looking down into Levi's eyes, his own clouded with pain.  

"When I moved in with Kenny he gave me... strong suppressants. It turned out they weren't exactly safe for young Omega's to take. I haven't had a Heat since my mom died and the doctor said the pills messed up my fertility." Levi explained quietly; Eren's scent spiking in anger at the sound of Kenny's name but then calming down and filling with sadness as he drooped dejectedly, before pulling Levi into him tightly. 

"I'm so sorry Levi." He whispered into Levi's hair. Levi willed his lip not to tremble; the idea of children was never something he clung to but with his Alpha so close and now with the knowledge that he could never give him a child... He wasn't even his Alpha and Levi never would have given him children anyway.. It still hurt more in this moment than any other time the thought had crossed his mind. 

 

He didn't have time to dwell on it as the door to the roof banged open above them. Levi jumped up, wiping his eyes and plastering a big smile on his face before running up to the smiling couple. 

"Congratulations!" Levi shouted jumping up to give Erwin a tight hug. 

"I can't believe you were in on this and didn't tell me!" Erwin demanded though he was too elated to put any force behind it. 

"I couldn’t ruin the surprise!" Levi laughed as Erwin put him down. "I'm really happy for you Erwin, you deserve the very best and I think you have it." He said sincerely. 

"Thank you, Levi." Erwin smiled, looking over to Mike and Eren who were talking quietly, smiles on both of their faces. "I think I do too." He added. Levi's eyes lingered on Eren for a moment too long as Erwin was watching him when he looked back. 

"You deserve the best too. I know you don’t always think that but you do and one day you'll find someone to give it to you." Erwin said quietly with a soft smile. 

"Thanks." Levi said  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See look, more happiness!  
> Probably not the happiness you're looking for but there is happiness. (I adore Mike and Erwin in case you haven't noticed)
> 
> I hope you liked it!  
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> Your lovely comments will keep me going in my time of not being able to look at the computer screen for long periods :D
> 
> <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guuuuuys!
> 
> You guys are amazing! Crazy but amazing!
> 
> I have over 330 Kudos on this thing! And Fan art!! I had TWO people draw me fan art for this story this week!  
> This amazing piece
> 
> [FanArt!!<3](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/soapy0-0/165341640195) 
> 
> was done by [fizzyxox](https://fizzyxox.tumblr.com/)   
> (Let me know if the link doesn't work)
> 
> and I have another by Levibuns but I'm waiting on their permission to post it (it might be implied but I'd rather get confirmation)
> 
> I was sure this chapter was going to be late, I hadn't been able to work on it much the last week but I did manage to finish it!  
> Please Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

Levi sat in the waiting room of a small clinic just outside of the city. Levi had refused to go to the hospital; he didn't want to risk Grisha finding out what was going on with him so Hange took him to the clinic of a doctor/scientist/professor that she had worked closely with throughout her schooling. 

Hange sat next to him and jumped to her feet as soon as Levi's name was called, dragging him into the office. 

"Hello Hange, nice to see you again." A dark haired beta woman said coming into the room a few minutes later. "This must be the friend you mentioned, I'm Dr. Langar." she added holding out his hand to shake, Levi took it and nodded. 

"I hope you don't mind but Hange and I have been speaking of your condition for a few weeks now, could you tell me how long you've had these symptoms?" Dr. Langnar asked." 

"It's been a while. Couple months or so.." Levi said, feeling ashamed. 

"And your mother died of the same disease? Why are you only now seeking medical attention?" The Doctor asked. 

"I thought I could handle it. Work out my feelings and get better on my own." Levi said. 

"Love is a tricky thing. I'll get you to sit up on the bench." Dr. Ilse Langar said taking out her stethoscope, Levi got up and she listened to his lungs. 

"There's definitely some obstruction but without proper machinery there's no way to tell the extent of the damage. How often do you experience coughing up petals?" She asked, feeling Levi's lymph nodes. 

"Not that often. Sometimes I feel like they're coming up my throat but I can manage to stop it usually. I haven't had a bad fit since a few weeks ago. It seemed like it was getting better before that episode." Levi explained. 

"Any blood?" Dr. Langnar asked, shining a light into Levi's eyes. 

"Just onc... twice." He said, remembering the bar. 

"There is a treatment but from what I can tell you're too far along for it." Dr. Langnar said, writing her results into her laptop. "My suggestion would be to go to Trost hospital where you can be properly tested and scheduled for surgery." She added. 

"No, I can't do that. I can't forget him." Levi said and she looked up at him in surprise. 

"The one causing this? I know you love him but is he not loving you back worth your life?" She asked. 

"He's my best friend, my family. I lost them almost 10 years ago and I just got them back, I can't lose them again. I can't forget them." Levi pleaded. 

"You still have me Levi, and Erwin, and Mike, Petra, Mikasa. All of us." Hange said sadly, finally breaking her silence. Levi looked at her with watery eyes. 

"I know and I love you all so much but Carla.. She was like my mother. Eren was my very first friend." He said, his voice trembling. 

"But he's hurting you!" Hange shouted. 

"He's not trying to. He's not leading me on, he made his feelings clear to me, It's my own fault for not getting over my own when I know the difference." Levi said. 

"They still might be able to help you more than I can at the hospital. Dr. Jaegar has developed a great team of doctors who specialize in rare diseases, Hanahaki being one of them." Dr. Langnar explained and Levi shook his head. 

"No, Dr. Jaegar can't know about this." He said desperately. 

"Eren is Dr. Jaegar's son." Hange clarified. 

"I'll give you the medication but you have to work at it too. You must stop the cause of the disease, stop the feelings of love you have for this man. If you insist on being friends with him you have to be content with just that, and not just pretend you are content for everyone else's benefit, it had to be true. These pills are meant for early stages, they might cure you, they might keep it at bay, or they may do nothing at all. There's no way to tell without knowing the degree of your disease. I still strongly suggest you go to the hospital." Dr. Langnar said tearing off the prescription and handing it to Levi. 

"Thank you." Levi said and rushing out of the room, followed a moment later by Hange. 

 

 

"I'm sorry Hange, I'll do it, I promise. I'll get better with the pills, that's all I need." Levi said as he sat in the passenger seat of Hange's car. 

"It's better than nothing I guess." Hange said quietly, eyes focused on the road. She didn't say anything else for the rest of the trip; very uncharacteristic of the woman. Levi sat quietly in the front seat, clutching the pills they had picked up at the pharmacy, moving to get out of the car when Hange pulled up to his building. A hand on his arm stopped him and he looked over at his best friend, who looked sad, worried, angry, and every other emotion Levi could think of. 

"I love you Levi." She said softly. 

"I love you too." He said with a sad smile before climbing out of the car. 

 

 

 

"Woahh I did not need to see that!!" Levi said, covering his eyes as he walked into his apartment to find a very naked Erwin sitting on top of a half-dressed Mike, making out and grinding together on the couch. There was some shuffling and Levi uncovered his eyes to find a blanket thrown over the two and Erwin now sitting beside Mike, with his red face pressed into the larger man's shoulder. 

"Sorry Levi." Mike grinned. 

"On the couch? Really? I sit there!" Levi said, though he wasn't angry at all, it was a nice, amusing distraction from the afternoon he had just had. 

"Sorry Levi." Erwin said with actual sincerity in his voice. "We'll move" he added. 

"No no, you guys just got engaged a few days ago, enjoy yourselves, just let me put some headphones in." Levi said with a grin as the red on Erwin's face depended but he smiled happily.  

"Thanks Levi." Mike said, pulling Erwin back onto his lap, Erwin letting out a [manly] squeal and Levi covering his eyes again as he hurried to his room. 

"No bodily fluids on the couch!!" He shouted before banging his door closed dramatically and reaching for his headphones. 

 

 

 

 

Levi took his medication religiously, he continued with his yoga and meditation routine and made himself only feel pleasant thoughts towards Eren. It was relatively easy if Levi were being honest; he and Eren had been spending a lot of time together and Levi felt nothing but content as they did so, whether they were alone or with a group, Levi just liked having Eren around him and Eren seemed to feel the same.  

There had been no weird or awkwardness between the two of them since that night at dinner; Levi felt as though he had actually been the one making things tense all along, Eren probably hadn't felt anything and it was just Levi imagining things. Whatever it was, he was glad how things were now; comfortable, pleasant, happy.  

"Oh Yeah, Mom wants to know if you guys are coming to their anniversary party." Eren said, dropping his phone back down in his lap and returning his arm to the back of the couch behind Levi while looking back at their movie 

"Can I bring Bert?" Annie asked from the recliner where she sat on top of Bert, his long arms holding her securely. 

"Of course, everyone can bring a date. You two coming?" He looked over at Ymir and Christa, sitting on the other side of the room, pretending as though they hadn't just been making out. 

"Tell Carla we'll be there." Christa said with a grin before locking lips with her girlfriend once again. 

"Us too." Annie said, cuddling her head back into the crook of Bertolt's beck, he smiled as he caught Levi's eye and held her tighter. Levi smiled back, the two were surprisingly good together, and their height difference was adorable. 

"What about us lonely, pathetic, dateless people?" Levi asked with a smirk. 

"You can be my date Levi, I don't have one either." Armin chuckled. 

"Ooh, sounds good to me." Levi said, scooting over closer to Armin who grinned and put his arm around the smaller Omega. "I could get used to this." Levi smirked at Eren. 

"I'll let them know, I'm sure mom will be happy to know you two found each other." Eren laughed, taking out his phone again. 

"Aww, they're adorable." Christa gushed. 

"We are adorable!" Armin laughed, giving Levi a squeeze. 

"Why don’t you two go out?" Bertolt asked, turning red as everyone looked at him. "I.. I mean.. You two get along really well, neither of you are with anyone... you don’t date Alpha's anyway.." Bertolt's voice faded nervously as they all stared at him. It wasn't his fault that he was the only one in the room that didn't know Levi and Eren's history. 

"As lucky as I would be to have a significant other as beautiful and awesome as Levi, I'm way too busy to date anyone right now. I'd be a terrible boyfriend." Armin chuckled, breaking the tension. 

"You'll find someone." Levi said cuddling into him as they continued to watch the movie. Levi had always enjoyed cuddling with the blonde beta, even when they were children; he was so comfortable and soothing, especially now with his developed Beta scent. Levi wondering why they hadn't done this much since they had been reunited as his eyes began to feel heavy. 

He felt himself being moved, he wasn't sure how much time had passed or how the movie had ended, all he knew was that he was being picked up off of Armin's chest. He opened his eyes and looked around disoriented. 

"Hey hey, it's alright. The movie is over, everyone is gone home." Eren said gently, securing Levi in his strong arms. 

"Goodnight guys." Armin said with a yawn, standing up and stretching before making his way to his room. 

"Put me down." Levi said groggily, trying to fight but Eren's chest was so comfortable and he smelled so nice. 

"It's late and you're tired, just crash here okay?" Eren said, walking towards his room. 

"I can sleep on the couch." Levi mumbled as Eren laid him down on his bed. 

"No, you sleep here, I'll take the couch." Eren said as he lifted up Levi's feet to pull off his socks. 

"You're too big for the couch." Levi mumbled, moving so Eren could help him out of his hoodie, then taking off his own pants as Eren pulled the blankets over him. 

"I'll be fine, not my first time on a couch." Eren chuckled. 

"You bed is cold." Levi mumbled, shivering in the cool blankets; boxers and a t-shirt not doing much to keep him warm. Eren was quiet, Levi assumed he had gone to get another blanket to throw over him, what he was not expecting was to feel the blanket lift and Eren's arms slide over him, pulling him into his warm chest, surrounding him with a soothing Alpha scent. 

"Just until you're warm, then I'll go." Eren said, burying his nose into the back of Levi's neck. Levi nodded, no longer half asleep. He willed his body to relax but it was hard when he was in a position he so desperately longed for but didn't mean anything. 

They were friends. Very close friends who helped each other out in times like this. Eren was clingy, he had said it before. It didn’t mean anything. Levi didn’t love Eren anymore, he was happy to be his friend. His family. They were like brothers..  

Eren must have noticed because his scent turned from a sleep inducing relaxation to more of a distress calming one; Levi felt the tension in his body ease away slowly. 

 

 

"Your scent.. It's faint.. Is it because of those suppressants?" Eren asked softly, face buried in the back of Levi's hair and Levi gave a small nod. 

"The ones Kenny gave me made my scent almost non-existent and stopped my heat completely." He explained quietly. 

"And hurt you." Eren said softly, his scent giving off a hint of sadness which nearly broke Levi's heart as he turned over, looking up into his equally sad eyes. 

"I'm fine." He said, wanting to erase the emotion from the Alpha's eyes; they were impossibly close, he could feel Eren's breath on his face. "Aunt Kimi found out about them and took me to a doctor, I've been on much safer one's for a couple years now. I've got some of my scent back and they won't cause any more damage than has already been done." Levi explained. 

"But you can't have children." Eren said. 

"It's not that big of a deal, I'd probably be a terrible mother anyway." Levi smiled, trying to lighten the mood. 

"You would be a wonderful mother!" Eren insisted. "Is he even sorry? Does he even care that he did this to you?" He spat, his scent flaring in an anger only Kenny could provoke. 

"Kenny... did what he thought was best at the time." Levi said earning himself a scoff from Eren; he didn't like to think about his Uncle, their last words to each other had hurt him more than he thought was possible. He had always believed that Kenny had had Levi's best interest in mind, even if he did fuck a few things up.  

Kenny had never apologized; not for the pills, not for taking him away from the Jaegars, not for the awful words he had said. Kenny was too proud and Levi was too stubborn to ask. If Kenny didn't want to speak to him then he didn't have to. 

"Hey." Levi said, cupping one side of Eren's face to draw him out of his thoughts. "What's done is done, I'm fine otherwise." He said and Eren nodded. 

"It's just upsetting that you'll never have ou—a baby. Mom will be severely disappointed." Eren said with a sad smile. 

"I think breaking it to her might be worse than anyone I ever end up being with." Levi chuckled. "If I ever find someone okay with it." He added quietly. 

"Anyone would be lucky to have you." Eren said. Levi blushed and looked away, turning back over to face the wall. 

"Think Mina will be upset that I slept in your bed?" He asked, pulling the blankets into himself. 

"Probably." Eren said simply.  

"I'm not cold anymore.." Levi said quietly, curling up as small as he could. 

"Maybe I should go.." Eren said hesitantly; Levi nodded and Eren sat up, sitting there quietly for a moment. 

"My room gets pretty cold.." Eren said. "I run pretty hot so I don't have much heat on usually." He added hesitantly. 

"Oh.." Levi said 

"Maybe I should stay here.. In case you get cold.." Eren suggested. 

"You would be more comfortable in the bed." Levi said quietly. "There's nothing wrong with just sleeping." He added. He knew he shouldn't be doing, allowing himself to give into temptation, allowing himself to be close to Eren when he knew he shouldn't. But he was just so comfortable.. And warm.. 

"There's nothing wrong with just sleeping." Eren repeated quietly as he lay back down beside him, shifting to get comfortable. 

"Goodnight Levi." Eren said, leaning over and kissing the side of Levi's head before falling back to his pillow. 

"Goodnight Eren." Levi said quietly as he closed his eyes and relaxed; they weren't actually touching but Levi could still feel the heat radiating from the Alpha beside him and his soothing scent surrounding him, calming him, as he slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of old memories.. 

 

 

 

 

> _"Yeah well, I don’t want to get pregnant while I'm still in high school." Levi said and watched Eren's go from thoughtful to giddy as a big smile stretched across his face._  
> 
> _"No!" Levi growled before he could say anything._  
> 
> _"I know I know. After high school. But_ _maybe.._ _When we're grownups..." He asked._  
> 
> _"Maybe. We'll talk about it then." Levi said gruffly. Eren just smiled happily and leaned back on to the pillow as Levi cuddled into him and they watched tv together._  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mina came home a few days later and Levi saw Eren significantly less than he had for the month she was gone; he hadn't realize how much Eren had become a staple in his everyday life. They still texted nearly constantly but Mina had been occupying most of his free time; it was for the best, they had been apart for a long time and it was good for Eren to spend time with the one he loves. 

 

Levi was almost nervous to see her again; afraid that he would never make her like him. Never before had he worried about someone's opinion of him but the thought of her distain for him slowly seeping through to Eren, causing him to lose the younger man all over again. 

He took a deep breath before knocking on the door; he knew she would be in there and he wanted nothing more to avoid her, but he was borrowing Eren's suit again. Eren had picked it up the day before and they had agreed to meet at his apartment and all go together; he was Armin's date after all. 

"Hey!" Eren said, opening the door with a big smile and ushering Levi inside. 

"Hey, you guys look really nice." Levi said, giving Eren and Armin a smile before glancing over to Mina who was sitting with her arms folded. 

"Wow Mina, you look beautiful." He said. 

"Thanks." She said flatly. 

"Here's the suit. You might as well keep it so you can wear it whenever you need to. Not like I can fit into it anymore." Eren laughed, holding out the hanger. 

"That's true. Some people actually grow past 14." Levi scoffed and Eren grinned. 

"But you're so adorable." Armin laughed. 

"Yeah yeah, I'm like a porcelain doll." Levi huffed, taking the suit and heading into the bathroom to change before they headed out. 

 

 

The party was beautiful; Carla had the house decorated tastefully, there was music playing, barely heard over the soft rumble of conversation, and everyone had come dressed in their best clothes.  

There was such a crowd of people that Levi hadn't even seen Carla or Grisha for the first half of the party; he remained by Armin's side, smiling and talking with the other guests. Eren knew most of them so the four of them were in near constant mingling mode; Levi wasn't very good at it but Armin was nothing but sweet, polite, and courteous to everyone around him. 

 

"Eren, there you are!" Grisha said, patting him on the shoulder. 

"We've been looking for you." Carla said, slipping her arm around Levi's waist with a smile. 

"Happy Anniversary. 25 years is a big deal." Levi smiled at them. 

"Thank you, Levi." Grisha grinned, leaning in to give Carla a kiss. "I'm a lucky man for sure." He said as she giggled. It was nice to see two people so much in love after such a long time, Levi still hoped he would find that someday as he glanced over to Eren who was holding Mina close to him, smiling as he spoke to a tall blond man beside him. 

"I'm sorry but I don't believe we've met." The man said, turning away from Eren, mid conversation and smiling down at Levi, holding a hand out to shake. 

"Levi." He said quietly and the man raised Levi's hand to his lips. 

"Levi, you remember by brother Zeke." Eren said, his voice slightly tense. Levi's eyes widened as he realized this was the angry Alpha teenager that used to lock himself up in his room for the week he had to visit his father twice a year.  

Eren's half-brother was 10 years older than him, a product of Grisha's previous marriage and had not been on good terms with their father; refusing to visit after turning 18. It seemed they were on better terms now as they carried on pleasant conversation. 

"Levi used to live in our basement apartment." Grisha supplied to a puzzled Zeke who obviously didn't remember him. His pale green eyes did light up with recognition at the reminder and he grinned. 

"The tiny little boy that used to place video games with Eren? You've certainly grown into quite a beautiful Omega." He said; Levi felt himself blush and Carla's arm tighten on his waist. 

"T-thank you." Levi said shyly. 

"Are you here with anyone?" Zeke asked, eyes boring into Levi's and making him nervous. "Can I steal you?" He added. 

"Y-yes.. I'm here with Armin." Levi stammered and Zeke raised a brow in surprise. 

"They're not dating, I'm sure Armin wouldn't mind." Mina volunteered, the most she had spoken all night.. At least directed towards Levi. 

"Oh. Yeah it's fine with me." Armin said. 

"Would you?" Zeke asked, holding his arm out for Levi. Levi looked at him nervously; glancing from an uncomfortable looking Eren to a worried Carla and finally an almost giddy Mina; it may have been the first time Levi had seen her smile outside of a picture. 

"I.. Um.. Sure?" Levi said, sliding out of Carla's hold and linking his arm with Zeke's before the older man pulled him away from their group. 

"Are you hungry? Carla serves the best food at these things." Zeke said with a smile, leading him towards the table. 

"She definitely knows how to throw a party." Levi said nervously, he had no idea what to even say to this man, he wasn't used to such polite forwardness. 

"So Levi, tell me about yourself?" Zeke said as they walked out to the patio with their plates of food. 

"Not much to tell really. I work for a paper shredding company." Levi said. 

"Receptionist?" Zeke asked. 

"No, actually I collect the paper from different companies." Levi said, popping a meatball into his mouth. 

"Really? You're too pretty for labour." Zeke grinned. 

"I didn't go to college. I'll take what I can get." Levi shrugged. 

"Maybe you'll marry a nice, rich Alpha and won't need to work anymore." Zeke said and Levi scoffed with a chuckle. 

"What about you? You're obviously on better terms with Grisha than when I last saw you." He said with a smirk and Zeke laughed. 

"Yeah, I grew up, realized he wasn't so bad. He paid for my medical school, connected me with the right people and now I work in his hospital." Zeke explained. 

"That's nice. Grisha is a nice guy. Carla too, you'll never meet two better people." Levi said with a soft smile. 

 

The two continued to talk for what seemed like hours; Zeke looking deeply into Levi's eyes as he spoke or touching Levi's hand as he told Levi his own stories. Levi was uncomfortable with the near constant compliments and the almost excessive yet light physical contact but otherwise he had a surprisingly nice time with the older man. 

Zeke led him around the party when they decided to go back in; speaking to his colleagues or other important public figures that Grisha had become rather friendly with over the years. They all smiled politely at Levi, complimenting Zeke on his choice of companion to which he would joke and say he was working on it. Levi was sure his face was pink for most of the party. 

 

"Happy Anniversary guys, it was a wonderful party." Zeke said at the end of the night after most of the guests had already made their way home. He gave Carla a hug and shook Grisha's hand before turning back to Levi. 

"It was a pleasure meeting you again Levi." He said taking Levi's small hand in his own and bringing it to his lips. "Can I escort you home?" He asked. 

"O-oh. Eren.. Eren said he would drive me home. If that's still alright?" Levi looked at Eren, who's eyes were trained on his brother before looking at Levi and smiling. 

"Of course it is." He said. 

"It's no trouble." Zeke pressed. 

"My apartment is on the way and I wanted to help Carla clean up at bit before I left." Levi said nervously. 

"I suppose I do have to work early in the morning." Zeke sighed. "Can I call you?" He asked. 

"Umm. Yeah. Sure." Levi said, pulling out his phone and they exchanged numbers before Zeke gave him one final smile before heading out. 

 

"Levi! You must be floating!" Mina almost squealed, pulling Levi by the arm over to the couch nearby. Levi stared at her in shock, she had never initiated conversation with him before, let alone be this happy speaking to him. 

"I..um.." He said, unsure what to say. 

"What did you two talk about? He couldn't take his eyes off you all night." She gushed and he glanced over to Eren who looked as confused as he was. 

"Nothing really. Just.. Things and. Stuff." Levi managed to say. 

"He's so handsome, a distinguished doctor  _and_ he's an Alpha. You've really hit the jackpot!" She smiled. 

"Y-yeah.. I guess so." Levi said hesitantly. "I'm not sure if I want to date him." He added. 

"What? Why not? You two would be so perfect together! And we'd be almost like inlaws! 

"I-in laws?" Levi asked in surprise and Mina only grinned. 

"Well nothing has happened yet, but I have a good feeling." She said with a giggle as Levi stared at her, not knowing what to say.  

In the back of his mind, Levi always knew that it was plausible; probable even. Eren and Mina had been together for years, they hadn't been dating all that time but then Levi had never dated Eren from the start. Of course Marriage was on the table; Eren was a strong, handsome Alpha with a good education and a well to do family, it was foolish to think otherwise. 

Though thinking of it made Levi's chest hurt.. 

 

"That's so exciting, you'll have to tell me all about it when it happens. Will you excuse me please, I need to use the restroom." Levi said as he stood up quickly and hurried to the nearby bathroom. 

He loosened his tie and splashed some cold water on his face before pulling out the bottle of pills. He had been directed to take them twice daily plus any time he felt an attack coming on. He popped a couple in his mouth; forcing the threatening petals down his throat. 

 

He was fine. He was going to be fine.  

 

He just needed to keep telling himself that.. 

 

 

 

 

Life goes on though; no matter how bad you might feel at one particular moment, no matter how much everything hurts, sooner or later you realize how good everything else around you is.  

Maybe it was just the pills finally kicking in, but Levi was starting to feel happy. He enjoyed the time he spent with people; lunch with Carla every Wednesday (her treat since she apparently could hold her own in a glaring contest with Levi), a movie night nearly every Saturday night with a variation of his group of friends, even Mina had become much nicer towards him. 

It was nothing crazy, she hadn't giggled since Carla and Grisha's anniversary party, which he was sure there had been a little alcohol to blame, but she had lightened up considerably and stopped glowering at him. She had even engaged him in pleasant conversation once or twice though it usually began with a question about Zeke and faded away quickly after Levi mentioned his lack of involvement. 

Eren seemed happy they were getting along and that was enough for Levi; just being with him, enjoying their time together whether it be alone or in a group, Levi felt happy with Eren around. He hadn't felt chest pains or had coughing fits in weeks, this medication had to be working, he felt healthier than he had in months and so happy that he could get healthy without losing anything important. 

 

Without the dread of never being without Eren still hanging over him Levi was finally able to take the time to really appreciate the other friends he had gotten back. He hadn’t been spending nearly enough time with Annie he realized as they walked through the mall together one Saturday afternoon. 

 

"So what are we looking for?" Levi asked as they browsed through some clothing racks. 

"Nothing really." Annie shrugged and Levi raised a brow. 

"Do you need anything in particular?" He asked. 

"No." She said, picking up a shirt and looking at it with disinterest. 

"Then why are we here?" Levi asked. 

"Because we're spending time together dumbass!" Annie said forcefully, throwing the shirt back on the rack as Levi couldn't help but to smile. 

"I'm pretty sure you hate shopping as much as I do." He laughed. 

"Oh my god it's horrible. Why would anyone come here when you have the internet literally everywhere you go?" Annie ranted, slumping her shoulders in an exaggerated sigh and Levi led her out of the store and towards the Second Cup down the hallway. 

"Then why did you want to go?" Levi asked, still chuckling at her outburst. 

"I don’t know, it's supposed to be good Omega bonding." She shrugged and Levi stopped, looking at her with curiosity. 

"Did you research ways to bond with other Omegas? Me in particular?" He asked, Annie didn’t answer, just looked away with a slight twinge of pink on her cheeks. "Why would you need pointers on how to hang out with me?" He added, a little stunned by the silent confession. 

"I don’t know! We haven't been spending much time together since you came back. I know that's mostly my fault, being with Bert all the time but we used to be really good friends and.. Well.. I miss you." She said, eyes still staring at the ground. 

"I miss you too." Levi smiled softly as they continued walking. "But we're still good friends, we don’t need an elaborate plan to hang out or pointers on how to become friends again, we'll just spend time together." He said and she nodded with a small smile of her own. 

 

"So how are things with Bert? You two seem pretty happy." Levi said, sipping his tea as they two sat as a table in the corner of the Café. 

"They're good. Really good actually." Annie said, a fond look in her eye. 

"That's really great. I've known Bert for a while and he's a great guy; very shy and awkward but that's part of his charm." Levi said with a grin and Annie nodded. 

"It is. A lot of people criticize him for not being Alpha enough because he's too passive and quiet but he's actually a great Alpha. He's very caring and protective, even assertive when he needs to be." Annie explained, a blush on her cheeks and a small smile on her face. 

"That's really nice, I'm happy for you." Levi said, he loved seeing his friends so happy with their significant others. 

"I'm.. Um.. Thinking of sharing my next heat with him..." She said quietly, her face turning a few shades darker.  

"Really? You haven't..?" He asked and she shook her head. 

"We've done it before but I've never shared a heat with anyone. We've been together a year now and I really love him.." She explained shyly. 

"Then go for it. If you're ready to share it with someone and you want that to be Bertolt then do it." Levi said. 

"Have you ever? Shared a Heat I mean?" She asked, sipping her coffee. 

"Not unless you include Eren guarding my door when he was 12 years old." Levi chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Bertolt said you don’t date Alpha's. Is that because of Eren?" Annie asked, her blue eyes boring into him as he looked away nervously. 

"I.. No. I just.." He stammered. 

"I haven't said anything to him about before. It's not my place and none of his business. I just thought that maybe you don't date Alpha's because you already had one and you've been waiting for him all this time." She said quietly and Levi's stomach twisted in dread of being found out.  

How could she be so perceptive? To state the one thing that he held on to all these years, the thing he didn't want anyone to know, the thing that was making him sick. He didn't know what to say, the words wouldn't come out. 

"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. Just.. Be careful okay.." Annie said, giving him a look of concern. He nodded. 

"I'm fine. It might have been part of my reasoning before but it was a childhood crush. Eren and I are friends and that's all. It's all we need." Levi explained, putting a smile on his face, hoping it wasn't too much. Annie looked like she wanted to say something but kept her mouth shut and nodded. 

"Alright, let's go get some mid movie snacks for tonight. Sasha always eats everything before we get there." She said, standing up and throwing out her empty cup. 

"Yes! I want my own bag of chips. I haven't had any in weeks." Levi laughed, he loved Sasha dearly, she was his cousin's girlfriend after all, but the girl didn’t know when to stop eating! 

"I'm getting a bar." Annie said with a grin and they made their way out of the shop to find snacks before heading over to Mikasa's apartment for movie night. 

"Hey guys!" Sasha said excitedly as she opened the door, her mouth already full and chewing. 

"Hey, are we late?" Annie asked, leaning down to give a sitting Bertolt a quick kiss. 

"No, right on time." He said with a smile. Annie looked over to Levi with a soft smile before giving his hand a squeeze and moving over to sit on her boyfriend. Levi give her a smirk before scanning the room for a place to sit. 

Mikasa, Sasha, Petra, and Hange squeezed onto the love seat, while Connie and Reiner were taking up the other chair, and Eren was left on the floor; leaning up against the couch in front of Mikasa. 

"There's lots of room here." Eren smiled, patting the floor beside him. 

"Levi, why don't you sit here with us!" Hange pulled him onto her lap, laughing loudly. 

"Yeah Levi, there's plenty of room on the couch for you." Mikasa smirked. 

"fuck off!!" Levi said wiggling to get free but Hange's hold was about as strong as her laughter and he finally gave up, slumping against her. 

"You know how she is." Petra laughed, resting her head on Levi's shoulder. 

"And you are tiny." Mikasa said, doing the same. 

"I've had about enough out of you." Levi said, flicking her ear. 

 

They soon turned on the movie, Levi remained relatively comfortable on Hange's lap with Petra cuddled into them both, staying for almost the entirety of the movie, until someone had to pause the movie to pee. 

"No. Stay." Hange said, holding him tightly and Levi realized the meaning behind it. Hange still didn't like Levi spending time with Eren, she was convinced he would never get better is he stayed around him, especially in intimate settings. 

"I'm okay." He said gently, hating that he made her worry so much but needing her to trust him. He pried her hand off of him before giving her concerned eyes a soft, reassuring smile.  

"Fine." She said, exhaling harshly through her nose and giving Levi a small smile, she was still concerned but she did trust that he was telling her the truth when he said he was feeling better. 

Luckily Petra came back in to distract Hange as Levi slipped over to Eren, sitting down beside him. Eren looked up from his phone, giving Levi a bright smile. 

"Hey, lose your spot?" He asked. 

"Hange's got boney legs." Levi said. 

"I do not! You have a boney ass short stack!" She shouted, breaking her kiss with Petra who laughed fondly. 

Levi rolled his eyes, focusing back on Eren who was looking at his phone again with a troubled look. 

"Something wrong?" He asked. Eren looked up in surprise and shook his head. 

"No, it's nothing. Just Mina being weird." He said. 

"Oh?" Levi asked, curious but trying not to pry. 

"Yeah, she said she wanted to be alone tonight. I offered to come over but she didn't want me to. I checked again before I came here, even invited her to come to but no, she doesn't like movie night. Now she's mad and I have no idea why." Eren explained. 

"Is it because I'm here?" Levi asked quietly. 

"No! I don't think so anyway. She seemed okay with you lately and I didn't even mention you were here." Eren said. "Whatever, let's just watch the movie." Eren said, turning off the phone and smiling at Levi before leaning against the couch and pulling Levi closer with an arm over his shoulder. Levi smiled and relaxed at the movie began to play. 

 

Eren's phone continued to buzz throughout the night but he ignored it, he definitely wasn't going to be dealing with a happy girlfriend when he got home. He did look at it again as everyone started filtering out, Levi left him alone with it, not wanting to get involved. 

 

"Definitely need to hang out more. I had fun today." Annie said, smiling at Levi with Bert's arm around her. 

"Me too." Levi smiled, nodding to Bert as they left, followed by Connie and Reiner. 

"Levi, you coming?" Hange asked as she and Petra pulled on their coats. 

"Nah, I think I'll walk. It's a nice night and your apartment is the other direction." Levi said, four faces falling at his words. 

"You're not walking home alone this late." Mikasa demanded. 

"We'll drive you, it's no trouble." Petra added. 

"I'm not a child!" Levi protested, these were the times he hated being on Omega with every fiber of his being; when he couldn't be trusted to walk home alone in the dark. 

"I'll walk you. It's on the way anyway and I'd like the fresh air." Eren said, finally getting up and putting his phone in his pocket. 

"Look, I have an escort." Levi said, crossing his arms. 

"Thank you Eren." Mikasa smiled, she and Eren had really bonded, especially over their protectiveness of Levi. 

"Alright let's go, thanks for having us over, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Levi said, waving to Petra and Hange as he made his way out, Eren following closely behind. 

 

"They just worry. It's not safe for an Omega to be alone at night." Eren said. 

"I can handle anyone that comes after me." Levi said 

"I'm sure you could, but it's best not to have to, yeah?" Eren chuckled. 

"Whatever." Levi huffed. 

 

"So Zeke's been asking about you.." Eren said, eyes trained on the ground. 

"Oh?" Levi asked. He had been texting Zeke a little but nothing substantial and he hadn't agreed to anything. 

"Yeah, he says he's been asking you out for weeks but you're playing hard to get." Eren said. 

"I am not playing anything!" Levi demanded and Eren laughed. 

"Do you like him?" He asked. 

"I don't know.." Levi said truthfully. Zeke was nice, he did enjoy talking to him occasionally and his refusal to give up was flattering.. 

"It's okay if you do." Eren said quietly. 

"I know that. I'm just not sure if I do." Levi said and Eren nodded, smiling. 

 

"Did you work things out with Mina?" Levi asked as they neared his building and Eren sighed. 

"No, I have no idea what's wrong with her tonight." He said " I mean one minute she talks about getting married and the next she's mad at me over nothing." 

"Married?" Levi asked quietly, feeling the familiar pull in his chest for the first time in weeks. 

"I don't want to get married! We're too young, we're not ready, and honestly I'm not sure things are working out with Mina." Eren said and Levi's heart skipped a beat, he felt like a terrible person for drawing happiness from other's misfortune but he had been longing for those words for months. 

"They’re not?" He asked innocently and Eren laughed. 

"Don't act like you're surprised, I know you can tell things have been weird. Everyone can." Eren said. 

"Sorry." Levi said with a bashful grin. "I can still be sympathetic even if I'm not surprised!" He added. 

"I know, that's just who you are." Eren smiled, looking into Levi's eyes as the stopped in front of his building. "Do you... do you think if I wasn't with Mina, we could..." He asked almost nervously. 

Levi's eyes widened at the implied words, was Eren saying what he thought he was saying? Or was Levi hearing what he wanted to hear? 

He looked up into Eren's beautiful eyes, they got more beautiful with each passing day, more mesmerizing the longer you looked into them. The pink on Eren's cheeks told Levi that he hadn't imagined it, Eren was; in not so many words, asking if they could try something if he were a single man. 

 

"Yeah." He said simply, a soft smile on his face. Eren's face morphed from nervous to a full bodied, blinding smile. 

"Yeah?" He asked and Levi nodded shyly. 

"Cool." He said simply, nothing more, nothing less, but it was enough for the time being. 

"I’ll talk to you tomorrow?" He asked. 

"Yeah." Levi said and Eren leaned down, pressing a gently kiss to Levi's cheek before smiling again and turning to leave with a wave. 

 

"Cool." Levi said quietly to himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
>  
> 
> Side note: I'm in a bit of a predicament. My husband doesn't actually know that I write fanficion. No reason really (except he'd probably torture me for it lol) but he got laid off today and is coming home tomorrow. I usually only write while he's gone, but he won't be going anymore.  
> Perhaps I should let him in on it so I can continue with regular updates... hmmm.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are awesome! Thank you for all the nice comments on the last (and every) Chapter. I love everyone of them!  
> And nearly 350 kudos OMG what's even happening??
> 
> Also! That other fanart I mentioned in the last chapter, here it is!!
> 
>  
> 
> FanArt!! <3 
> 
>  
> 
> It is amazing and done by Levibuns.  
> Who btw is super nice and distracted me the other night while my writing was shit.
> 
> So I had a whole scene written out, it was pretty important and you guys will probably like it but then I changed something and had to change that a bit but it will be in the next chapter so something to look forward to!  
> (This story is so slow omg. I'm sorry!)
> 
> Please Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Over the next couple weeks there was no change in Levi's relationship with Eren; they still spoke daily, spent time together occasionally, and still spent time with their group of friends.  

Even though Eren was still with Mina and they hadn't spoke of furthering their relationship since that night, Levi still felt almost giddy at the possibility. He knew it was hard to break up with someone, especially when you cared about them, he couldn't blame Eren for waiting until the right time.  

Eren hadn't even said anything definite about them; he barely asked Levi if they could be a possibility, Levi was trying not to get ahead of himself but he couldn't help it. He had wanted to be with Eren since he was 8 years old, there was no one else, there could never be anyone else. 

 

"What are you smiling about?" Erwin asked, pulling Levi's attention away from his cell phone where Eren was being his adorable self while explaining the events of a bad Netflix movie he was watching.  

"N-nothing." Levi said bashfully, his cheeks feeling warm as Erwin smiled fondly. 

"It's nice, I haven't seen you smile like that in a while. Who are you talking to?" He asked. 

"Eren. What are you working on?" Levi tried to change the subject but knew it hadn’t worked as Erwin's smile fell into a frown. 

"Levi.. I know you're good friends but... he has a girlfriend." Erwin said gently. 

"Not for long, he said he was going to break up with her!" Levi defended and Erwin's eyes widened in surprise. 

"You're not... already?" He asked and Levi shook his head frantically. 

"No! Of course not! Erwin you know I'd never do something like that!" He insisted. 

"I know." Erwin said, relaxing slightly in his relief. "You're too good for that, I just worry about you around him. I know how you feel about him and I'm afraid you're going to end up hurt." He explained. 

"I'll be fine, I'm not so weak as to get hung up on some Alpha." Levi chuckled through his lie. 

"I know, you're the strongest person I know." Erwin laughed. "Doesn't mean I can't worry about my best friend from time to time." He smiled; Levi returned with a bashful one of his own. 

"Seriously though, what are you working on?" Levi asked moving over closer to Erwin to get a better look at the papers scattered on the coffee table. 

"Trying to book a venue, but I need a rough estimate of the guest list so I can determine which venue would be best to fit everyone, but it also must be nice inside so it can be properly decorated and have a nice backdrop for pictures. And I don’t even know how many people would even come, some of our family don’t exactly approve of our relationship." Erwin ranted stressfully, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

"Alright, where do we start?" Levi asked looking at the scattered documents and the open laptop. "First of all, fuck anyone who has a problem with your relationship, don't even invite them. Secondly, you should take pictures in Maria Park. There's a pond with a nice pier, it would look really nice to stand on and there's a Gazebo if it's raining." Levi explained, bringing up pictures of the park on the laptop before looking over at Erwin who was watching him and smiling fondly. 

"What?" He asked, suddenly embarrassed. "If I'm being too pushy just tell me." 

"No no!" Erwin laughed "You're incredible Levi, I'm glad you're my best friend." 

"Of course you are." Levi said with fake confidence, looking back at the computer and feeling the heat reach his ears. 

"I know you probably assume already, but will you be my best man?" Erwin asked. 

"W-what about Hange? You've known her longer." Levi asked in surprise. 

"That's true but you are just as important to me as she is. I want you both to stand with me as I marry Mike. Co Best Men.. People." Erwin smiled. 

"I'd be honored." Levi said with a soft smile. 

"Great, so what were you saying? Maria Park? That is a great idea, and there's a really nice Rec Center nearby with a fireplace and holds 300 people. If I have 300 people at my Wedding, shoot me please." Erwin said. 

"Gladly." Levi said with a smirk before they continued working out Wedding plans. 

   

 

Levi actually enjoyed helping Erwin and Mike plan for their wedding. He managed to work out a lot of the details by himself, allowing for the two Alpha's to make the final decision without too much stress. They both have pretty intense jobs, especially Erwin, so Levi was glad he could be of assistance as much as he could.  

It also didn’t hurt that it kept his mind off the fact that it had been over a month and Eren was still with Mina. Levi tried not to think about it, obviously Eren needed some time and it wouldn't be fair to pressure him. Maybe he changed him mind, maybe he realized he still loved Mina and wanted to work it out, maybe he never wanted Levi anyway... 

 

"Thanks for coming with me." Levi said as he and Carla walked toward a flower shop after work on a Wednesday afternoon. 

"No problem, I love Wedding planning! And don’t think you'll get out of our Wednesday afternoon lunch that easily." Carla said with a grin. 

"I wouldn't dream of it." Levi smiled, he did look forward to their late lunches every Wednesday. Wednesday was his early day so Carla would pick him up when he finished at 3:00 and they would catch up on their day to day events.  

They were making a detour today in order to pick out flowers for Erwin and Mike. The two had decided the color scheme of the Wedding but that had been the extent of the flower opinions.  

Levi didn't know much about flowers, but he did find them rather beautiful as he browsed through the hundreds on display around the store. 

"Can I help you?" An Omega woman wearing a tag that read 'ALMA' asked from behind the counter as Levi admired a Blue Orchid. 

"Yes, I'm looking for Wedding flowers. Just some boutonnieres and a small couple bouquets." Levi said to her as her big blue eyes sparkled with excitement. 

"Congratulations! Your Alpha is lucky to marry a mate as pretty as you!" She gushed and Levi's eyes widened and he raised his hands. 

"No no, they're not for me! Well not really, I'm the best man so I will be wearing one but I'm not getting married." Levi rambled in panic. 

"Oh I'm sorry. I don't get many Omegas looking for flowers when they're not the bride, or at least with the bride." Alma said glancing over to Carla. 

"Nope, not the bride either, just a mother." Carla said with a smile, putting her hand on Levi's shoulder. 

"Alright, what did you have in mind? Alma asked with a smile. 

"The theme is blue and white, They were thinking something with a Calla Lily." Levi suggested. 

"That is an excellent choice! Calla Lillies are extremely popular for wedding all year around, you can get them in blue or with a blue middle but my personal favorite is the plain white with a blue Hydrangea." Alma explained, her eyes starry with her obvious love of her trade. 

"No!!" Levi and Carla shouted simultaneously, frightening the poor Omega woman, who backed away in shock. 

"No, sorry. Blue Hydrangeas are not an option." Levi said quietly. 

"O-okay. Not an issue, plenty of others to choose from." She said, leading them around the store. She showed them every variation of blue flower that would pair well with a white Calla Lily. Levi and Carla narrowed it down to an Orchid, Carnation, or Peony; it was up to the Grooms to decide which one they preferred. 

 

After taking pictures of the options, Levi and Carla thanked Alma and made their way out of the shop and towards a small restaurant nearby. 

"I really miss her." Carla said quietly as they looked through their menus. Levi stopped and looked up into her sad eyes. They didn't talk about her very often, not since the beginning, but the Blue Hydrangeas... It was hard not to think of Kuchel. Levi thought about her every time one of those cursed blue petals fell from his lips, every time he coughed. He didn't want to end up like her but he missed her dearly. 

"Me too." He said quietly. 

"You'd tell me if... if you got sick." Carla asked and Levi's stomach dropped. He was sick and he couldn't tell her. She couldn't know that he was so deeply in love with her son that he had succumbed to the same disease that had killed his mother; her best friend.  

He wanted to tell her, wanted to confide in her so she would hold him and tell him everything would be okay. He knew he couldn't; if she knew of his illness she would insist on extensive treatment and he'd lose Eren; he's forget him and Eren would know of the feelings Levi had had all along. He wouldn't want to be around him after that, not when he had moved on from his life, married Mina, started a family. Levi would lose him completely and in turn lose Carla and Grisha as well. 

The feelings he had while Eren was obviously still in love with Mina. He was never going to leave Mina; Levi knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up but he had, all the while ignoring the lump rising in his throat. 

"Yeah." He nodded as he lied through his teeth. 

"I hope so. You're like a son to me Levi, even if you and Eren never end up together I still love you just as much as I love him and I never want anything to happen to you." She said, placing her hand on top of his on the table. 

"I love you too." Levi said sadly, fighting back tears.  

"Carla... I. um.." Levi hesitated and she looked at him with concern in her eyes. "I can't have kids." He whispered. 

"Oh?" Carla asked in surprise. 

"Kenny had me on some bad suppressants for a long time. My body just doesn't work properly anymore." He explained as he watched her face turn from concern to miffed then into sympathy. 

"Are you still on them?"  She asked and he shook his head. 

"Kimi took care of it. There's no more damage but the doctor said I'd never have a family." He said. 

"Do you want a family?" Carla asked gently. 

"I don’t know." He shrugged. "Maybe." 

"Then you can adopt. Grisha and I will still love them as our own and spoil them rotten." She smiled. Levi looked up at her happy face and gave his own smile. 

"Thanks." He said and she squeezed his hand before turning back to her menu. 

 

 

 

Levi had been avoiding Eren again. Once he realized that Eren hadn't meant what he said when he asked if they could be something more; he was never going to leave Mina, Levi would be better off if he forgot about it, moved on. 

Funny how that was nearly impossible to accomplish. 

Funny how Eren hadn't even noticed Levi was doing it this time... 

 

"Mikasa said they're almost here, I'll go start the popcorn." Petra said, reaching up to give Hange a quick kiss before breaking free from the larger girl's arms. 

"Hurry back babe." Hange said with a toothy smile as Petra grinned and made her way to the kitchen. 

"You two are really great together aren't you." Levi smiled from beside her on the couch. 

"She's amazing. It’s only been a few months but I can't imagine my life without her." Hange said happily.  

Levi's heart ached with unbelievable happiness for his two friends but he couldn't stop the longing and sadness for himself, at this rate he'd never experience love like his best friends had found. 

"You're still our favorite Omega though." Hange laughed loudly, pulling Levi into her arms. 

"Hey! Let me go!!" Levi growled; her grip tightening the more he squirmed. 

"How are you doing? Are you okay?" Hange asked after finally calming down and having Levi lean against her. 

"I'm good!" He said, hoping it sounded reassuring and honest. 

"Are you sure? You seemed really good for a while but you don't anymore." Hange said, and Levi cringed at her perceptiveness. It was impossible to hide anything from her. 

"I am. I had a setback but I'm fine." He said quietly, not wanting Petra to hear. He trusted that Hange had kept her word and not told Petra of his condition, they only spoke of it in private so he could only believe her. 

"Have you had any attacks? Are the pills still working? If they're not working I will take you to the hospital!" She warned and Levi shook his head. 

"I haven't! I'm still getting better. I'm sure it's almost gone by now." Levi insisted and Hange didn't have time to respond when the door opened and Sasha barged in with Mikasa in tow. 

"HEYY!!" She yelled loudly, arms full of groceries. 

"Just because you're my sister doesn't mean you don't need to knock!!" Hange shouted back. 

"Sorry!" Mikasa said, elbowing Sasha in the side. "I brought Armin, Eren, and Mina." she added and Levi's stomach dropped. 

He hadn't seen Mina in a while, didn’t want to think about her while she was still with Eren and he would never be. But here she was with her fingers laced with Eren's smiling happily as she pulled him into the apartment and into a vacant chair.  

Eren's eyes met Levi's; they looked almost sad and embarrassed as they fell to the floor. Levi didn't hear the conversation between the rest of the room, his attention was focused on Mina, the pretty smile on her face as she said hello to everyone and got comfortable on Eren's lap, the giggle she let out as she leaned down and kissed him, his smile as he looked up at her.  

 

Levi couldn't pay attention to the movie; he was fidgety, uncomfortable, and couldn’t stop himself from glancing over at Eren and Mina as they cuddled on the couch. More than once Mina had caught him looking before giving him a smug smile and nuzzling into Eren's neck; stimulating his scent gland enough for it to surround her and drift lightly towards Levi.  

It made Levi's chest hurt. The beautiful scent that had calmed him so many times, that made him feel secure and at home, but now did nothing more than tear him apart and cause a lump in his throat. 

He swallowed hard, stealing Hange's drink and gulping down half of it as she watched him with worry in her eyes. He shook his head reassuringly and looked away before pulling out his phone. 

 

 

 

 

> Levi:   Hey 
> 
> Zeke:  Hey beautiful! What are you up to tonight? 
> 
> Levi:   Watching a movie with friends.  
> 
>           Not really into it... 
> 
> Zeke:  Tell me where you are, I'll come get you. 

 

 

 

"Hey, I'm going to head out." Levi said, putting his phone back in his pocket and standing up. 

"What? No!" Hange said, reaching for his hand, eyes wide with worry. 

"We're not even half way through!" Mikasa said sitting up in surprise. 

"I'm not feeling well, I'm just going to go home." Levi said, giving a small reassuring smile. 

"Let me drive you!" Petra said and Levi shook his head. 

"I'd really rather walk. Sorry guys, I'll see you later." He said, pulling on his coat and making his way out of the apartment. 

 

Zeke wasn't there when Levi got downstairs, he hadn't really expected him to be, he was just anxious to get out of there. He pulled his pill bottle out of his pocket and dry swallowed one before pulling his coat tightly around him in the chilly night air. He leaned against the side of the building, watching the cars as they drove by in the twilight of the evening until a moment later when the front door swung open and Eren dashed out. 

The Alpha almost didn't notice him; running past before stopping abruptly and turning towards him. 

"You're still here." He said. 

"What are you doing here?" Levi asked quietly. 

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Eren said, eyes fixated on the ground. 

"What about Mina?" Levi asked. 

"She's fine. My car is here, Armin can drive her home." Eren said. 

"No need, I'm fine on my own." Levi pushed himself off the wall. "How are things going anyway? You two seem pretty cozy." 

"I'm sorry Levi." Eren whispered. 

"Sorry? For what? You didn't do anything to me." Levi dismissed with a shrug. 

"I meant what I said that night." Eren said. 

"What night? The night that you didn't actually ask me out. Don't worry about it, it was nothing. We're just friends right, why bother trying for something else when it wouldn't have worked anyway." Levi said, watching as a fancy silver car pulled up to the curb. 

"I have to go." He said quietly, taking a step past the Alpha. 

"Mina's pregnant." Eren said, so quietly Levi barely heard him. Levi stopped short, his heart beating into his ears, his throat closing off and his mind going blank. 

He couldn't speak, he couldn't think.  

Mina was pregnant. Pregnant with Eren's baby. Eren was going to be a father, he was going to have a family, he was going to be happy and get everything he had ever wanted; things that Levi could never had given him anyway.  

He had lost him; it would have happened sooner or later but that didn't make it hurt any less. 

"Congratulations." He said, clearing his throat. 

"Levi please." Eren said, his voice sounding completely broken. "I can't.."  

"You can." Levi said, turning back to Eren and putting a hand on his arm. "You are a strong, caring, great Alpha, you will make an amazing father." He said with a small squeeze. As much as he was hurting, he couldn't stand to watch Eren in so much pain. 

"Go back upstairs, be with her. I'm still your best friend and I'll always be there for you but right now I have to go. Everything is going to be find." Levi said and Eren nodded sadly, Levi gave him a soft smile before turning and walking toward the car. 

 

"Hey Beautiful." Zeke smiled. 

"Sorry about that, Eren was telling me something." Levi said, plastering a smile on his face for the older Alpha. 

"About Mina? Pretty exciting huh?" Zeke said. 

"Y-yeah." Levi said, hoping he looked happier than it felt as he pulled on his seatbelt glancing out the window; eyes meeting Eren's as they stared back at him. 

"How about we go for a drink?" Zeke asked, shifting the car into gear. 

"Sounds good." Levi said as Zeke pulled away from the curb and headed off. 

 

 

 

Dating Zeke was interesting to say the least.  

He was fairly busy; being a well-respected doctor in a high-end hospital, he didn't have a lot of time to spend with Levi but he made sure to make the most of the time they did have together.  

Zeke treated Levi like treasure, like he was the most important person in the room, taking him out to nice restaurants, complimenting him constantly, bought him small presents. Levi still may have been tentative about their relationship but he couldn't deny that the Alpha made him feel special; even if he did have a bit of a wandering eye. 

 

"Wow, you look nice." Mike said when Levi came out of his room, dressed in an outfit Zeke had bought for him. It was elegant and more 'Omega' than he usually preferred but Zeke had taken his more masculine taste into consideration when purchasing the clothing. Levi appreciated the middle ground, allowing for his own comfort while still dressing appropriately for the Omegan date of a distinguished doctor at the event it was intended for. 

"Thanks." Levi said shyly. "I'm going to a Gala for the hospital with Zeke." He explained, running some mousse though his hair to slick it back.  

"Is it too much?" He asked shyly and Mike smiled, putting a large hand on his shoulder. 

"No, you look beautiful." He said, leaning down and kissing the top of his head gently, "Zeke is a lucky man to have you on his arm." He added with a grin and Levi looked away blushing, his embarrassment saved only by the jiggling of the door knob.  

Or so he thought until the door opened and Erwin walked in with Zeke in tow. 

"Hey babe." Erwin said, handing Mike one of his grocery bags and leaning up for a quick kiss. "Look who I found." He said. 

"Hello Mike." Zeke smiled, holding out a hand. "Levi has told me a lot about you two, I've been looking forward to meeting you." 

"Same to you." Mike said, eyeing the older Alpha. It was mostly a courteous lie since other than his name and family, Levi had told his best friends almost nothing about his new boyfriend. 

"Levi, you look stunning!" Zeke said, moving over to the tiny Omega; lifting his hand to kiss the back of it. 

"T-thanks.. Um.. Thanks for the outfit too." Levi said shyly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear. 

 

"So where are you going?" Erwin asked, setting the groceries out on the table. 

"Levi is accompanying me to the Annual Hospital Gala. It’s quite boring but with him on my arm I have a feeling this year will be the best one yet." Zeke said with a flirtatious grin. 

"What time will you bring him home?" Mike asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"These things can run fairly late, there's a hotel upstairs if Levi would like to stay there." Zeke explained simply, though the two Alpha's didn't overly impressed with that statement. 

"Are you going to be drinking much at this event?" Mike asked, eyes narrow. 

"If you are unable to drive Levi home we would be more than happy to pick him up." Erwin said, obviously holding in a growl. 

 

"Alright that's enough,  _Dad._ " Levi said glaring at the two as Zeke chuckled beside him. 

"I'll take good care of Levi, I promise. He'll be exactly where he wants to be at the end of the night." Zeke sounded sincere but the slight upturn of his lip had Erwin and Mike seething. 

"Guys..."Levi said in a warning tone. "I'll let you know what I'm doing." He said reassuringly. 

"Call if you need anything, it doesn't matter what time." Erwin said quietly and Levi nodded with a small smile. 

"Thanks, I will." He said quietly before saying goodbye to them both and leaving the apartment with Zeke. 

 

"Your roommates are... interesting." Zeke said, offering Levi his arm as they walked down to his car. Levi chuckled lightly. 

"They are, they're my best friends." He said fondly. 

"I've never met two Alpha's in a relationship before." Zeke said. 

"How do you feel about that?" Levi asked tensing up, Zeke looked down at him in surprise at the unfamiliar tone. 

"Oh, no! I think it's great! I just don't know how they do it, I never feel comfortable around other Alpha's, I'd never be able to date one." He chuckled. 

"They're different, they work very well together. They're the best couple I know and I can't wait to watch them get married." Levi explained with a smile. 

"You are very cute." Zeke said opening the car door for him, Levi felt himself burn bright red at the compliment and quickly climbed inside. 

 

They made their way to the hotel ballroom where the Gala was taking place; it was beautiful, decorated elegantly, hundreds of people dressed in extravagantly. It was like Carla and Grisha's party except much more intense. 

Zeke knew everyone, they weren't given a break for a second in the first hour they were there; the Alpha was stopped by every doctor and public figure that had seen him. Levi had never spoken to so many sophisticated Beta's and Omega's in his life; they were all so proper and gorgeous, like Carla but much more intimidating, to Levi at least who was used to her by now. 

He was actually feeling a little underdressed with all the beautiful gowns and expensive jewelry, but Zeke seemed happy enough to have Levi on his arm.  

 

Levi breathed a sigh of relief when they finally ran into Grisha and Carla, he knew they were there but the place was so large he was afraid they'd never run into each other. He relaxed into Carla's arms as she gave him a hug. 

"How are you?" She laughed. "These things are exhausting aren't they." She said as she rubbed his back. He nodded and gave her a smile. 

"You look lovely but I'm surprised you're not wearing your suit." Carla said, letting go but keeping one arm around his waist. 

"Zeke bought this for me. It's nice, at least it's not a dress." He said, picking up the hem of his flowing silver shirt. "Not really anyway." He laughed dropping it back to his legging covered thighs. 

"It's very nice, as long as you're comfortable." She said, smiling as Eren and Mina came up to them.  

Levi wasn't surprised to see him, these things were like a family event for the Jaegars, but it still made him uneasy. They hadn't stopped talking completely but their conversations had dwindled over the past few weeks and Eren hadn't been spending much time with anyone but Mina.  

Levi met Eren's eyes, they looked so beautifully sad; he missed the Alpha so much, he wanted to run into his arms and never let go. It wasn't even a romantic thing, sure he wanted Eren to love him more than anything else in this world but he also just wanted his friend back. He wasn't himself without Eren, he wasn't happy without the Alpha in his life, he needing things to go back to normal. 

"Hey Eren, Mina you look gorgeous as always." Levi smiled. 

"Thanks Levi, you look nice too." She smiled, resting a hand on her forming belly. Levi's eyes widened, her dress was very tight, showing off the small bump that was already forming. Levi's chest felt tight as everything became a reality once again; Eren was having a baby, the baby was right there in the woman that was taking everything away from him. 

"Wow, you're showing already?" Levi asked and she nodded with a grin "I forgot to ask Eren how far along you were." He said. 

"3 months." She gushed, pulling Eren closer to her. 

"Wow, I can't wait to meet him or her." Levi said through a forced smile, Mina didn't seem to notice, she just grinned happily and turned to Carla who was putting her hands on the Beta's belly and chatting excitedly. 

Levi's smile lost some of its fakeness as he watched Carla; as much as Levi hurt from losing Eren to this baby, he was happy that Carla was getting her grandchild. That woman was so kind and nurturing, she would be an amazing grandmother and he was incredibly happy for her, even if he wasn't the one giving it to her.

 

 

Levi excused himself to the restroom; unable to handle much more of the overly happy Mina and everyone who came over to gush about the new pregnancy. He felt terrible for thinking this way, she had every right to be excited over her and Eren's baby; even if the pregnancy hadn't been planned she had done nothing wrong by getting pregnant by her boyfriend. He knew he had nothing to be upset about but it didn't stop his heart from breaking all over again each time he looked at the beautiful couple; lumps rising in his throat. 

He watched the small blue petals swirl down the bowl as he flushed the toilet; he wiped his mouth, brushed off his pants and made his way to the sink to freshen up.  

He thought he had been doing well; he had managed to keep everything down for months, every lump in his throat, every shortness of breath, every tightening of his chest, he had managed to stop himself from allowing those forsaken petals to pass through his lips. 

He was losing and he didn't know what to do. He knew he should go to the hospital but he still couldn't allow himself to forget Eren, no matter how much it hurt for his love to be unrequited, the thought of forgetting who Eren was.. Not knowing his best friend, his very first friend, the boy that changed his life.. That hurt even more. 

 

Levi swallowed two of his pills with a handful of water before wiping his mouth, fixing his hair, and forcing a pleasant look on his face before heading out of the bathroom. 

He couldn't find Zeke through the mass of people, he weaved through them the best he could but once again his height played against him as he searched. He was stopped by a number of people who he had been introduced to previously throughout the night as well as some he had met at Grisha and Carla's anniversary party; they chatted pleasantly as they drank the complimentary Champagne. 

The alcohol helped loosen him up a little, the smiles and the chit chat came much easier after the second or third flute, he was almost enjoying himself despite being lost among all these people who hadn't seen his date in ages. 

 

"Hey, there you are!" Eren said, catching up with Levi. "I had a couple people tell me you were alone, I came to find you." He said and Levi grinned.  

"My Hero." He said with a giggle. 

"Are you drunk?" Eren asked with an amused grin. 

"Pfft! Nooooo." Levi said and Eren laughed. 

"How many Champagne have you had?" He asked, linking his arm through Levi's and walking with him. 

"Ummm. Three?" Levi said thoughtfully, "Four!" He lifted the flute in his hand. 

"Normally that's not many but we know how cheap of a drunk you are." Eren laughed leading him toward the outside door. 

"It's true." Levi sighed, leaning his head against Eren's arm as they walked, he knew he shouldn't allow himself to get so close to the Alpha but he was feeling good at the moment, not thinking entirely coherently and Eren just smelled so good. His scent was like Levi had never encountered before; it made him feel at home in any situation, even though Eren should be the farthest thing from home. 

"Have you seen Zeke?" Levi asked finally as they made their way outside near the hotel pool, almost forgetting about his actual boyfriend when Eren was near. 

"I haven't actually, I thought you two had left until I was told you were wandering around alone looking for Zeke. I know how you don't like being alone in crowds like this." Eren explained. 

"Thanks." Levi said with a small smile, the cool evening air sobering him up a little as he hugged himself tightly while enjoying the lovely night. 

"Are you cold?" Eren asked, shrugging off his suit jacket and placing it over Levi's shoulders, Levi gave him an appreciative smile and wrapped it around himself. 

"You look beautiful tonight, by the way." Eren said quietly. 

"You don't think I look ridiculous in this? Or underdressed for a party like this at least? Levi asked with an awkward chuckle 

"You look perfect. You always do, no matter what you're wearing. You would be the most beautiful person at this party whether you were wearing a ball gown, my old suit or your worn out jeans and t-shirt." Eren smiled as Levi blushed. 

"Mina looks better than I do." He said quietly, not meeting Eren's eyes or even looking at his face as Eren remained silent. 

"She's big for three months, are you sure it's not twins?" Levi asked with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. 

"I-I don't know... she says she's sure. We have an ultra sound next month, Mom said they can tell how far along the baby is then." Eren explained, fidgeting with his hands in his lap. 

"You're not sure?" Levi asked, raising a brow in curiosity. 

"I don’t know." Eren shook his head. "We were so careful, I always used protection and we've barely even done anything in months. Things have been rocky, she was mad at me all the time for nothing and now all of a sudden she's pregnant and everything is perfect." He said bitterly. 

"You can't think like that." Levi said, rubbing Eren's back. "Accidents happen, sometimes even when you're being careful. You can't take it out on the baby." 

"I know." Eren nodded. "I'm not ready for a baby but I'm also already in love with him. It probably sounds weird.." He said with a soft chuckle. 

"No. It doesn't. You'll be a great father and you have so many people who love you and will help you through this." Levi assured. 

"Are you one of them?" Eren asked quietly. 

"Of course I am!" Levi exclaimed. "Besides, who knows this baby might bring you and Mina together, make your relationship stronger than ever. It's been known to happen." He said with a smile. 

"Thank you, Levi." Eren said quietly. "I don't know what I'd do without you." He added, wrapping his arms around the Omega. 

"I'm sure you'd be fine." Levi said quietly and Eren shook his head as it was buried in Levi's shoulder. 

"No I wouldn't. I don't know how I managed nearly 10 years without you and I never want to lose you again. I love you." Eren said, his words pinching Levi's heart painfully; the exact words he wanted to hear, he needed to hear, the words that would cure everything, but said in an entirely different context from how he needed them to be said. 

"I'm not going anywhere." Levi said with a small smile as Eren let go; Levi leaning his head against Eren's shoulder as they watched the colourful lights reflecting off the dark water of the unused pool. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it!
> 
> Please tell me if there are any mistakes, I was a bit late finishing it so I haven't actually read it over.
> 
> Also distracted by Wentworth. New season recently added and I love that show!  
> Definitely not having a panic attack from the [Spoilers!] buried alive scene... is the air thin in here or is it just me... fuuuck me
> 
> Tell me what you think!  
> And always feel free to speak to me on Tumblr!
> 
>  
> 
> [Soapy0-0](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I was going to get this finished in time but I wanted to get it finished before tonight because I'm going out  
> (3 year anniversary, we're going to be all cute and shit)  
> But then I ended up making it like 2K words longer than normal, so who even knows what I'm at.
> 
> Have I mentioned Marco before? I feel like I was going to in passing but then I skimmed earlier chapters and I didn't see him. So he's in this chapter and I'm sorry if I overlapped him. If you see him earlier in a chapter let me know and I'll fix it.
> 
> Warning: There is sexual content in this chapter. I'm sure most of you have no issue with that but just in case! 
> 
> Please enjoy!

 

 

 

Levi and Eren sat in silence by the pool, enjoying the evening air and each other's company. As much as Levi knew he should not be giving into this temptation, he just couldn't help it. He just felt so comfortable around Eren, so content and at peace; so much so that he barely registered the related scent softly slowing from his glands.  

"Your scent is stronger tonight." Eren said quietly; his nose against the top of Levi's head, breathing it in. 

"I-it is? Sorry." Levi said self-consciously, fingers reaching to cover his scent gland. 

"It's nice. It's still not much but usually it's barely there at all. I have to concentrate to find it unless I'm this close." Eren explained quietly, his head still leaning against Levi's. 

 

"There you are! Levi, I've been looking all over for you." Zeke exclaimed, rushing into the pool area. Levi turned to look at him in surprise. 

"Oh hey, sorry." Levi said as he and Eren stood up. 

"We couldn't find you so I brought him out for some fresh air. He doesn't like to be alone at parties." Eren stated, face stoic and eyes harshly trained on his brother. 

"Thanks for looking after my date Eren." Zeke grinned, moving to put his arm around Levi. 

"Sorry Beautiful, we must have kept missing each other. How about we get going?" Zeke asked, leading Levi back into the hotel, Eren following closely behind. 

The crowd had mostly disbursed while Levi and Eren were outside; they must have been out there longer than they had realized. With the better view they were able to find Carla, Grisha, and Mina easily. 

"Where were you??" Mina demanded, playfully hitting his arm as he walked up beside her. 

"I wasn't feel well, Eren brought me to get some fresh air." Levi offered, giving her a shy, nervous smile. 

"Aww aren't you sweet. You're going to be the best Daddy." She gushed, kissing his cheek. 

The display made Levi feel sick; maybe it was because he just spent an hour cuddled up to the Alpha or maybe it was because he was still wearing Eren's jacket and surrounded by his scent. He forced himself to ignore it, to smile pleasantly at the couple. 

 

"I for one am exhausted." Carla said with a sigh. 

"I'll go get the car." Grisha smiled, leaning in and kissing her cheek. 

"I'll get ours too." Zeke said, imitating his father's move and kissing Levi's cheek and following the older Alpha. 

"Guess we should be going too. Goodnight Mom." Eren said, giving Carla a hug. 

"Goodnight, hope you kids had fun." She said with a smile "No you go rest your feet, these things will only get harder the next few months." She said, hugging Mina who giggled and nodded. 

"Oh, here." Levi said, slipping off Eren's jacket that he was still wearing. 

"Thanks." Eren said with a small smile, "Good night Levi. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He added, folding the jacket over his arm and leading Mina out. 

 

Carla looked over at him and smiled before putting an arm around his shoulder. "Did you have a good time?" She asked, 

"Yeah it was fun." Levi smiled as they walked toward the lobby; Carla waving goodbye to a few people on the way out. 

"I'm sure it was." She chuckled. "I hated these things at first too but you get used to them." She said with a squeeze. 

"If I was as classy and elegant as you I'd probably be good at them too." Levi said, making her laugh again as they reached the lobby. 

"Alright honey, I'll see you on Wednesday." She said, pulling him into a hug when Grisha pulled up with the car, Levi smiled, nodded and watched her go before climbing into Zeke's waiting car. 

 

"I'm sorry we lost each other." Zeke said, slipping his fingers through Levi's as he drove down the street. 

"Don't worry about it." Levi said, turning to him with a smile before looking back out the window. 

He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings; just watching as the bright lights of the city pass by until Zeke pulled into the driveway of an unfamiliar house. Levin surprise. 

"I hope you don't mind. I live much closer." Zeke said with a flirtatious smirk. 

"It's fine." Levi said quietly, moving to get out of the car and following Zeke to the door. 

The house was nice; it wasn't as large as Grisha and Carla's home but it was a decent home with classy decorations. Perfect for a highly respected, young doctor like Zeke. 

"Your home is beautiful." Levi said looking around. 

"You look beautiful in it." Zeke smiled, his arms circling Levi's waist as he pulled him closer. Levi blushed but didn't turn away as Zeke leaned down to kiss him.  

They had kissed before; little pecks here or there, a short goodbye, or a thank you, but Levi had usually kept them simple. This one was much more heated, Levi could feel the need Zeke was feeling, could detect it in his scent; Zeke wanted more than a simple kiss.  

Levi allowed himself to be led down the hallway and toward the master bedroom while Zeke loosened his tie, pulled off his jacket and pushed Levi onto the large bed before leaning over him and stealing his lips again.  

Kissing was nice, Levi enjoyed kissing, he hadn't kissed like this since he dated Petra. He wrapped his arms around the Alpha's neck and allowed the other man's tongue to invade his mouth, hands to roam his sides, and scent to swirl around him. He was lost in the moment, it didn't matter that this was not his Alpha, it didn't matter that his scent was all wrong, it didn't even matter that Zeke had a faint lingering scent of an unfamiliar Omega. 

He snapped out of his stupor when Zeke pulled the flowing shirt over his head and began kissing his collarbones, hands making their way down over his thin leggings. Levi felt himself tense up, panic seeping in as he realized exactly where this was going. He had known from the start where Zeke's intentions were, could smell the desire off the older man. He ignored it, went with it, thought he could do it, that he didn't care.  

But he did.. 

He wasn't ready.  

All these years of refusing any Alpha to show interest in him, refusing to even consider being with an Alpha because they weren't his Alpha. Zeke wasn't his Alpha.  

 But then neither was Eren, was he... 

 

"Zeke. Zeke. Stop, please." Levi whimpered and Zeke backed off, eyes wide in surprise. 

"What's wrong?" He asked gently, his scent turning from arousal to something calm and soothing as he picked Levi up and held him securely.  

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered, burying his face in Zeke's chest as the Alpha rubbed his back slowly.  

"Don't be sorry, you did nothing wrong. Did I hurt you?" He asked, his voice low and comforting. Levi shook his head. 

"I.. I'm not ready. I've never..." He mumbled and Zeke chuckled. 

"Is that all?" He asked and Levi looked up in surprise. "All you had to do was say so. We don't have to do anything you don't want to Levi." He smiled and Levi relaxed a little.  

"Thank you." He said quietly. Zeke was a good Alpha, there was no doubt. Many Alpha's did not take an Omega saying no so easily, many Alpha's weren't so kind and caring as Zeke; considering Levi's feelings or preferences before making decisions.  

Sure, he had probably been sleeping with the Omega who's scent still lingered on his skin while Levi was alone and looking for him, but it's not like they were serious. Levi was barely invested in their relationship, it didn't matter to him if the Alpha had someone on the side. He was sure Zeke would be faithful if they decided to become serious, maybe it was something to be considered. 

 

"Don't thank me, I'm just being a decent Alpha." Zeke smiled, kissing the top of Levi's head before moving over to his dresser and pulling out a plain t-shirt. "You can use anything in the bathroom and you can wear this to bed. Maybe it'll rub off some of my brother's scent" he laughed giving the oversized shirt to Levi. 

"Thanks." Levi said quietly, not meeting his eyes. 

"Would you like me to make up the spare room?" Zeke asked, Levi shook his head. 

"I'd like to stay with you... If that's okay." He blushed. 

"I'd like that too." Zeke smiled, giving him a soft kiss on the lips before heading to the other bathroom. 

 

 

Levi spent the night curled up with Zeke; waking up securely in the Alpha's arms. After that night Levi began spending more time over to the Alpha's home; they never did more than heated make out sessions ending with overnight cuddles. Zeke respected Levi's boundaries; allowing his hands to roam only where Levi had deemed to be okay, never pushing Levi to go further, to keep going when Levi had had enough, or even insisting Levi stay the night on nights that he didn't want to.  

Zeke was the perfect gentleman, the perfect Alpha; Levi wished he could fall in love with him. He enjoyed their time together, he found himself happy to see the Alpha when they were together, he even found himself feeling better as he spent less time dwelling on his relationship with Eren. 

The problem was; he couldn't fall in love with him. He wanted to, but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't. His heart didn't skip a beat when he saw him, he didn't find himself smiling when he thought about him, he didn't even find himself caring that Zeke was cheating on him. 

Was he even capable of love anymore? 

Normally the lingering scent of another Omega on an Alpha's skin would be enough to throw the first into a fit of rage.  

Maybe he was broken... 

Maybe because his insides were messed but that he wasn't a true Omega, maybe he would never feel anything for an Alpha. Maybe he was incapable of love... That couldn't be true; he loved Eren, loved him so much it was physically making him sick.  

If only he could take some of that love and give it to someone else, someone who could love him back. If he could get over Eren only enough to develop feelings for someone else, he could cure himself. Being with Zeke was a step in that direction at least; while he didn't love the other Alpha, he had been a nice distraction from Levi's feelings for Eren. 

 

 

He was doing very well again, though he wasn't deluding himself into thinking he was getting better, every time he did something would cause him to have another attack and he's be back to where he started. 

He amped up his exercises, strengthened his meditation, upped his dose of medication and threw himself in Erwin and Mike's Wedding plans. 

 

"Levi, I told you I'll address them when I get back in a few days! You don't need to do it!" Erwin said, laying his suitcase by the front door as Levi sat to the coffee table with envelopes scatter around him. 

"I really don't mind, I like doing it actually. Besides, the Wedding almost 4 months away, you have to get these out as soon as possible so you can get your RSVP's in time and make the rest of the plans." Levi said as he neatly printed Mike's grandmothers address in white ink on the dark blue envelope.  

"You and Mike go on your trip, enjoy yourselves!" Levi said waving him off. 

"It's a business trip." Erwin chuckled. 

"So? You're going to a romantic city for the weekend, meetings aren't going to be the entire time, go enjoy yourselves and don't worry about this stuff, I got it." Levi demanded, looking up and smiling at Erwin. 

"You do have beautiful hand writing..." Erwin said tentatively. 

"Babe, you know better than to fight with Levi." Mike said, zipping up a smaller bag and tossing it by the door, before pulling him in for a kiss. 

"Listen to your future Husband, he knows what's going on." Levi said, pulling out another envelope. 

"Husband." Erwin smiled up at Mike. "That sounds pretty good." 

"Hey hey hey, you have 45 minutes before you absolutely have to be at the airport or you will miss your flight, if you keep that up you  _will_ be late." Levi scolded as the two Alpha's parted bashfully. 

"Alright, we're going. I'll call you when we get there." Erwin said as they pulled on their coats. 

"Don't clean to hard while we're gone." Mike laughed, picking up the bags. 

"No promises." Levi said, waving as the Alpha's left. 

 

He wasn't used to having the apartment all to himself; other than an hour or two here and there Levi had never actually been alone in the apartment. He loved living with Erwin and Mike, he loved having someone to come home to everyday, even if it was just two of his over protective best friends; but tonight, he had every intention to take full advantage of having the apartment all to himself. 

That was at least until Hange barged in two hours later; just as he was pulling out his cleaning supplies to get to work. 

"Put that shit away! Everyone will be here in half an hour!" She shouted, already rearranging the furniture. 

"What? Fuck no! Get out of my house!" He shouted back. 

"Aww, come on, it's just movie night!" She stopped, looking at him with a pout. "Besides, everyone will make a big mess and you can clean it alllll up tomorrow." She said in a sing song voice, a large grin spreading across her face. 

"I do not like cleaning that much!" Levi protested and Hange raised a brow with her hand on her hip. 

"It is 8:00 on a Friday night and you're pulling out your mop bucket." She deadpanned. 

"Fine." Levi growled. 

 

Levi was glad he gave in, he was always glad he gave in; no matter how often he thought he'd rather be alone, he always had a great time with his friends. He was curled up between Mikasa and Armin for most of the night, Armin was always good for platonic cuddles; he cuddled better than most Omega's without making you feel uncomfortable. Mikasa felt secure as her protective scent washed over him; he hated how much she babied him most of the time but she was his family, he loved her more than anything, he could handle her excessive protection. 

 

"So Marco, how do you know Jean?" Krista asked the newest addition to the group after the first movie ended and they were getting ready for another. 

"Oh, I'm a Veterinarian assistant. Jean brought Snowball in a few times." Marco explained with a blush.  

Levi remembered Jean mentioning the Male Omega a few times while they were at work, he was quite taken with him. It wasn't hard to see why, the man was adorable. He was larger than most Omegas, taller than Jean even but he had kind big brown eyes and a sweet smile, he was incredibly polite and a little shy but he seemed to loosen up in the couple hours since he got here. 

 Jean was on his best behavior, trying not to deter the Omega with his cocky, obnoxious attitude, he had even begged Levi for some pointers on how to treat a male Omega; not that Levi knew much about normal male Omegas.. He seemed to be doing pretty well if the endearing looks and simple touches Marco had been giving him all night were anything to go by. 

"Ugh, what made you go out with him?" Ymir smirked as Jean shot her a glare. 

"I said no first. He was insistent at first but when he stopped being arrogant and turned into bumbling idiot I thought he was very cute and gave in." Marco explained with a chuckle. 

"Aww that's so sweet!" Krista gushed. 

"If you're into bumbling idiots then Jean is definitely your man." Mikasa grinned. 

"Hey! Jean is a very sweet guy!" Petra insisted, glaring at her best friend. 

"Thank you, Petra!" Jean said "See I'm not a bad guy!" He glared at Ymir, pulling Marco tighter against him. The other man smiled and leaned into his new boyfriend. 

"I believe it." He said, kissing Jean's cheek before it turned bright red and Jean hid his face in a giggling Marco's neck. 

 

"So where's Eren tonight? He's usually here for movie night isn't he?" Jean asked, changing the subject to hide his embarrassment. 

"Yeah, he's never missed one has he?" Mikasa asked in surprise, movie night always fluctuated between different friends but a few always remained constant every week. 

"He's with Mina tonight, they had their ultrasound this afternoon and she wanted him to stay over." Armin said, shifting slightly beside Levi. 

"Oh that's exciting!! Do they know what they're having??" Sasha asked excitedly. 

"I'm not sure. He only texted me where he was." Armin said quietly. 

"Oh your friend is having a baby? That's so cool!" Marco gushed happily. 

"Not in this case." Ymir grumbled, earning herself an elbow to the ribs from Krista. 

"O-oh. I'm sorry. I--" he began, looking around nervously, unused to the group and obviously afraid he offended someone. 

"Of course it's cool." Levi said, glaring at Ymir who just shrugged. "We're all very happy for him." He added, giving Marco as warm of a smile as he could manage. Marco visibly relaxed, returning a soft appreciative smile before leaning back into Jean.  

 

"Alright, enough chitchat! Let's get this movie going before Levi kicks us out so he can mop the floor!" Hange shouted, a snicker rising through the room as she turned on the next movie. 

 

Levi tried to sit back and enjoy it but he couldn't get his mind past Mina and Eren; how happy they much have been to see their baby on the screen, how they must be celebrating now over such an amazing event.  

They should be happy, there would be something wrong if they weren't happy over their baby. Levi needed to stop thinking about it, stop dwelling and upsetting himself over it. 

Maybe he should call Zeke after all, let the other Alpha take his mind off Eren. Zeke was working most of the weekend and Levi had decided to take some time for himself, but he was sure Zeke wouldn't mind.  

As long as he wasn't with someone else. 

 

 

Levi managed to sit through most of the movie before excusing himself; going into the kitchen to get a drink of water and to calm himself down. He was halfway through scrubbing down his kitchen when a sweet Omega scent wafted in through the room.  

"Would you like some help?" Marco asked, picking up a cloth. 

"Oh. Sure." Levi said in surprise and Marco rinsed the cloth and began wiping down the counter Levi had been cleaning. 

"Thanks for having me over." Marco said quietly. 

"Don't mention it. You're always welcome." Levi smiled 

"Thanks. Your place is so nice, do you live here with Armin?" Marco asked. 

"What? No no. I live with an Alpha couple." Levi said, raising a brow. 

"Oh right! Jean mentioned them. Too Alpha's in a relationship. That's so nice, you don't see Alpha's together very often. Jean said they're getting Married?" Marco asked, smiling sweetly. 

"Yeah, they are." Levi said smiling at Marco, he was cute; really cute. His sincerity and innocence shining through as he asked about the soon to be newlyweds. "It's in a couple weeks and it’s going to be beautiful." Levi added and Marco's eyes sparkled. 

"Oh I wish I could see it! I love weddings." Marco gushed. 

"Jean is invited, I'm sure he'll bring you as his guest." Levi said. 

"You think? We haven't been together long.." Marco said shyly as he rinsed out his cloth again and continued wiping. 

"Trust me, he's smitten." Levi grinned 

"Really?" Marco asked, looking away with a blush but unable to hide his smile. 

"Yes, I work with him every day, you're all he's talked about for weeks." Levi chuckled as Marco's blush deepened. 

"Did you have anything to do with his change in attitude?" He asked. 

"He's a great guy but he can be an arrogant idiot when he's nervous or showing off, he just needed a little push." Levi explained. 

"That's really nice of you." Marco smiled. "You're.. Um.. You're with Armin right?" He asked nervously. 

"What? No, we're not together." Levi said, surprised by the statement. 

"Oh, sorry, I thought.. You two seemed close." Marco said, embarrassed. 

"We are close, but we're not together. You're not worried about Jean and I, are you?" Levi asked gently. 

"No! Of course not! You're so nice.. And beautiful.." Marco drifted off, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"I can assure you, nothing has or will happen with Jean and I. Besides, Jean isn't like that, he doesn't cheat and he already had a beautiful and sweet Omega." Levi said. 

"Thanks." Marco said quietly, Levi gave him a reassuring smile before he began washing the dishes in the sink. Marco grabbed a towel and began drying as the two talked a little more before going back out to the movie.  

 

His talk with Marco did calm him down a bit, even if they didn't talk about anything important; just being with someone as kind and sweet as Marco, who didn't know anything about him, didn't give him a weird look at the mention of Eren. 

It at least put him at ease enough to get some sleep after everyone left, though he was up bright and early the next morning to begin the cleaning that had been so rudely interrupted from the evening before. 

 

Cleaning was his escape; as he wiped the dust from ever crevasse and corner, scrubbed every inch of flooring, and scrubbed every surface, he lost himself. He didn't think about Eren, his health, how his friends would react if they found out, what would happen to him if he didn't get the surgery, or what would happen if he did. He just focused on the objects before him and how they sparkled. 

 

He also thought of how nice a hot bath would be in his newly clean tub. He was grotesquely sweaty and covered in the dirt he had been cleaning. He was about to run a bubble bath, pour himself a glass of Erwin's favorite cheap wine, and relax when there was banging on his front door.  

He turned off the bath water and made his way to the door, a strong scent hitting him as he approached. 

"Eren?" He called nervously, his knees feeling weak as he moved closer to the door; the scent was undeniably Eren but it was full of distress, pain, and arousal, he was obviously in Rut. 

"Levi. Let me in. Please." Eren said from the other side of the locked door, his voice broken and desperate. Levi knew he shouldn't open the door, every warning he had ever been given as an unmated Omega told him to never open the door to an Alpha in Rut.  

But he couldn't leave Eren out there like that, he was upset and in pain. He wasn't just any Alpha, he was Eren. Levi unlocked the door without hesitation, opening it as Eren's scent hit him full force. He felt his legs buckle beneath him as it surrounded him, his mind going blank.  

Before he felt himself hit the floor there were strong arms around him, pulling him up and pushing him against the wall. Eren buried his nose into the join between Levi's shoulder and neck, Levi couldn't help but to whimper as Eren's lips moved against his skin.  

He needed to push the Alpha away, Eren obviously wasn't in control of his senses, he didn't want this, he didn't want Levi; but Levi was so dizzy with the scent of lust and desperation, couldn't he be selfish for once? Couldn't he give in to what he had been dreaming about since he was 14 years old. 

Levi wrapped his arms around Eren's neck as the Alpha slammed the door with his foot, lifting Levi higher so his legs could wrap around his waist as he grinded against him; lips moving up his neck, kissing his jawline before attacking his lips with a growl. Levi couldn't stop the whine that left his throat as he melted into the kiss, his body heating up in arousal. 

 

"Er-Eren. Eren! Stop. We can't do this." Levi said, finally regaining his senses, knowing this was not the right thing to do, knowing this was just going to hurt everyone involved. 

Eren pulled back, looking at Levi with his big, beautiful, pained eyes before leaning his forehead against the wall, his nose buried in Levi's neck once more but he remained still. "I'm sorry." He whispered. 

"You're in Rut." Levi said quietly, fingers moving through Eren's hair, scratching at his scalp in attempt to soothe him. Eren nodded. 

"I didn't know it was happening. It started when I got here." He whispered, his body trembling. "You smell so good." He said, breathing in deeply. 

"Come on, you need to lay down." Levi said, wiggling to get down from Eren's arms; the Alpha reluctantly put him down before Levi led him to his bedroom and sat down on the bed beside him. 

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Levi asked, Eren shook his head, looking down at his hands, his body tense and still trembling. 

"Tell me." Levi said, putting a hand over Eren's. 

"I don't think the baby is mine." Eren whispered; the scent despair rolling off him in waves. 

"What?" Levi asked in surprise, wishing he had enough control over his scent to soothe the Alpha. 

"We had an Ultrasound yesterday. They said she's five months, not three." Eren whispered, Levi moved closer to the alpha, rubbing his back gently. 

"Maybe she didn't realize." Levi suggested. 

"She was on vacation five months ago. She was gone for 4 weeks. We barely had sex before she left." Eren said bitterly. 

"It doesn't take much, once is enough. Have you considered time periods? The date of conception is two weeks later than what is counted as the beginning of pregnancy." Levi said, unsure what to even say to make him feel better at this point. 

"I did. It doesn't add up." Eren leaned forward, tangling his fingers in his hair. 

"What does Mina say?" Levi asked. 

"The doctors are wrong, the baby is big so the measurements are off. She said he's my baby." Eren said. 

"He?" Levi asked quietly, Eren nodded. 

"He's a boy." He said, a tear slipping down his face. "You can't tell Gender on an ultrasound until 20 weeks." He whispered. Levi moved closer to wrap his arms around the younger man who clutched him tightly. 

"How can you know for sure?" Levi asked, he hated seeing Eren so sad. He didn’t want this for him, he had been upset about the baby but he didn't want Eren to have to deal with something like this. He had such a big heart, he loved so easily, Levi couldn't stand to see his Alpha so heart broken. 

"I can't. Not until he's born." Eren said, voice muffled into Levi's shoulder. 

"Then you can't do anything. You can't miss out on him if he is yours, you'll never forgive yourself." Levi said. 

"I know." Eren sobbed into Levi's shoulder, nosing at his scent gland for comfort, making Levi whimper quietly. 

"Come on, you need to lay down. You're in no condition to be thinking about this right now." Levi said, pulling back the blankets and pushing Eren gently onto the bed. He tried to stand up but Eren pulled him into his arms. 

"Lay with me?" He whispered. Levi wanted to say yes, he wanted to stay in Eren's arms forever, surrounded by his intoxicating scent. It was taking every ounce of power for him to stay coherent as Eren's strong, arousing scent swirled around him. 

"I don't think this is a good idea." He whispered, sadness lacing Eren's scent. 

"I'm sorry. You just smell so good." He said, loosening his grip, but his nose not leaving Levi's neck. 

"You're in Rut, any Omega would smell good to you right now." Levi said but Eren shook his head. 

"No, just you." He whispered before freezing; his muscles tensing before pushing Levi away, Levi trying his best to suppress the whimper that wanted to come with it. 

"I can't be here! I'll put you in Heat. I'm such an idiot, I'm sorry." Eren said, desperately, moving away from Levi abruptly. Levi reached out to calm the Alpha who backed himself into the wall. 

"Eren, get back in bed, you are in no state to go anywhere. I live with two Alpha's, I've been around Ruts many times and they've never affected me. I don't have Heats remember?" Levi said, coaxing Eren back into the bed. 

"Lay down before it hits worse. I'm going to get a shower then I'll run out and get you some suppressants. Enough to get you home okay?" He said, smoothing down Eren's hair as the Alpha nodded and curled up beside him. 

Levi sat beside Eren, running his fingers through the soft, dampening brown hair for longer than he should have as Eren's breathing slowed and he drifted to sleep. Eren was beautiful, the way his lashes fanned out over his smooth tan skin, the way his long hair fell over his relaxed yet slightly flushed face as he slept; Levi wanted to lean down and kiss those pink lips, curl up into those arms and never leave.  

He had been so close earlier, Eren had had him pinned with no intention of stopping. If he had only given in, if he had only been selfish for one moment, he would have gotten everything he wanted, if only for a moment. Levi felt a lump building in his throat as his lip trembled slightly, running his fingers through Eren's hair one last time; moving it out of his face as the Alpha's large hand covered his, bringing it to his lips.. 

"Don't be sad." He said quietly, his magnificent green eyes opening a crack through their haziness. 

"I'm not." Levi lied with a soft smile. 

"I can smell you." Eren whispered, eyes drifting closed again. Levi gently removed his fingers from Eren's, leaning down and kissing the top of the Alpha's head before slipping away toward the bathroom, turning on the shower and hiding his cough in a towel in case the Rut dazed Alpha was coherent enough to hear him. 

Levi's eyes watered as he hacked into the hand towel, gagging on the obstruction in his throat, breathing through his nose enough to give a powerful clearing cough; blood splattered petals falling through his lips. 

Levi threw them in the toilet, clearing his throat harshly to remove the last lump; pulling it out with his fingers when it was close enough. He looked down at the Hydrangea flower; perfectly intact, it had never come out like that before. Levi crushed it between his fingers, he didn't have time to think about it right now. Eren needed him, needed to be taken care of as he rode out his rut, needed someone to be there for him as his relationship was crumbling.  

Levi stripped off his sweaty clothes, they smelled like Eren; he smelled like Eren, Eren's arousal, his desire, his distress. The sent was overwhelming, it made him dizzy while also making him crave more. He felt strange; anxious, fidgety, warm. He was very warm, he needed to shower, remove the first and grime from cleaning the house, wash away Eren's scent so his mind would clear up again.  

He climbed into the shower, turning the water cold to soothe his itchy flesh and standing in the spray far longer than he normally would. 

When he left the bathroom Eren's scent had strengthened, filling the house with desperate need and the pain of ignoring it. Levi found him moaning, moving around the bed trying to get comfortable while refusing to do anything about his condition. Levi brought him some ice water, some painkillers, and a cold cloth for his forehead.  

"What are these?" Eren asked, sitting up in obvious discomfort. 

"Erwin and Mike's painkillers, they're designed specifically for the early stages of rut. They might help, but you seem a little far gone." Levi said as Eren gulped the medication down with most of the water before Levi pushed him back down and placed the cloth on his forehead.  

"I don't know what's happening, it doesn't usually come on so quick." Eren said, eyes closing and body relaxing slightly. "It's easier when you're here." He whispered; Levi's heart clenching at the words.  

Eren couldn't realize what they did to him, the hope they made him want to feel, the hurt because he knew the hope was for nothing. Levi swallowed thickly, smoothing Eren's hair away from his face. 

"I'm going to go get you some things and a strong suppressant that will help you get home, maybe go to the grocery store and get some things to make soup." Levi said, standing up. Eren's eyes shot open, wide with panic as he grabbed Levi's wrist. 

"Don't go." He said, his grip tight and brushing on Levi's petite wrist. 

"I won’t be long, I promise." Levi assured. 

"It's not safe." Eren pleaded, looking into Levi's eyes. 

"I'll be fine." Levi chuckled, leaning down to give Eren a reassuring kiss on the cheek before prying the Alpha's grip off his already aching wrist. Eren's breath quickened and his eyes closed in concentration long enough for Levi to slip out of the room, grab his wallet and make his way out of the house and towards the store down the street. 

 

Levi took a deep breath in the crisp fresh air, allowing it to clear his head and refresh his throbbing lungs. He wrapped his coat tightly around himself; the cool air harsh on his overheated skin, as he walked down the street. 

He was still feeling dizzy and overwhelmed; his skin wasn't cooling down even in the cold Autumn air and was feeling oversensitive and itchy beneath his clothes. He received strange looks from people he passed on the street, some looking at him in disgust, others in worry; out of the corner of his eye he saw a dark-haired man lift himself up off the rail he had been leaning on and walk toward him. 

 

"Hey baby, where are you going?" The man called out behind him as Levi quickened his pace; his stomach turning.  

"What are you doing out all by yourself, let me help you." He called out again and Levi tried to break out in a run despite the pain radiating from his hips and the sweat breaking out on his skin, but he was stopped short as the man grabbed his arm, pulling him back.  

Levi looked at the man with wide eyes, he was obviously an Alpha, the scent of desire and dominance oozing out of him but he wasn't a man, he was no more than a teenager, with his greasy hair and thin patchy facial hair. 

"I-I'm meeting someone." Levi said nervously, feeling scared around this strange Alpha in his weakened state. His stomach cramped up again, doubling him over in pain, he hadn't felt like this in a long time.. Not since... 

Levi felt the blood drain from his face as he realized what was happening; his sensitive skin that burned with heat, the dizziness, the pain in his hips... 

"I'm meeting my Alpha." He added, hoping his words and Eren's lingering scent would deter this boy but the young Alpha only laughed. 

"Oh I bet you are. How about you give me a little taste, I'm sure he won't mind if he lets you out like that. Just begging for it." He grinned, pulling Levi closer. Levi felt himself tremble, terrified of this Alpha's intentions and his inability to shake his grip.  

He pulled again, trying to wiggle free; he was stronger than this, why couldn't he get away? The skinny Alpha pulled him into the alleyway without any difficulty; slamming him against the brick wall, tears streaming down Levi's face as he thrashed, trying to get free.  

He stopped suddenly when it hit him; the heavy scent of rut nearly overpowered by rage, even the Alpha who had Levi pinned, stopped abruptly, fear filling his own eyes. 

"Put my Omega down." Eren growled low and furious. 

"H-hey man. I-if he's you're Omega, you shouldn't let him out like this." The boy stammered, trying to be brave against the terrifying Alpha.  

Levi let out a whimper at the overwhelming scent of protection and dominance, the sound making Eren growl again, stepping closer to the strange Alpha. The teenager dropped Levi, putting his hands up and neck down, submitting to the enraged Alpha who looked ready to murder. 

"Leave." Eren said, his voice quiet and deadly. The young Alpha standing up and running toward the street.  

Levi's eyes met Eren's as he leaned against the wall; the anger melting away from Eren as he looked at the Omega, his scent returning to its overwhelming scent of rut. Levi doubled over as a cramp ripped through his pelvis, up through his abdomen as his legs began to shake and slick gushed down his thighs before he collapsed on the ground with a whimper. 

Eren was on him in seconds, lifting him into his strong arms; Levi's legs circling his waist and arms holding around his neck as he buried his nose in the Alpha's chest.  

"How did you find me?" Levi whispered in a quiet sob. 

"You're safe now." Eren said, his nose pressed into Levi's hair, arms holding him securely as he walked back to Levi's apartment. 

 

Levi didn't lift his head until they were safely inside, unsure if it was from embarrassment or his inability to surround himself from anything but the Alpha. He whined as Eren carried him to the bedroom, the slick still leaking through his clothes, cramps ripping though his insides. 

He hadn't had a heat in almost 10 years, he didn't remember the pain, the need to feel the Alpha against him, around him, inside of him.  

 

"You smell so good." Eren said breathlessly as he lay Levi down on the bed, hovering over him with unfocused eyes, pink tinted cheeks, open lips. Levi could do nothing but whimper, he wanted the Alpha so bad it hurt. 

Everything hurt; his skin hurt, his insides hurt, his groin hurt. He couldn't stop himself as he arched up into Eren, grinding his hips against the obvious and painfully hard erection in Eren's jeans. Eren cried out before putting a large hand on the back of Levi's head and pulling him up to crash their lips together. 

Levi put his arms around Eren's neck, pulling the Alpha closer to deepen the kiss. He couldn't think, nothing mattered only Eren, only this moment in time as their hips grinded together, Levi's pants soaked with slick, chafing his over sensitive skin. 

He didn't have to tell Eren, it was as though he already knew as his hands grabbed the Omega's jeans, almost ripping the button off as they were pulled from his legs, Levi forcing Eren's t-shirt above his head immediately after before their lips connected again. 

Eren's hands roamed Levi's body, gripping his small naked hips, sliding over his ribs and over his chest; Levi hissing as his fingers brushed over his sensitive nipples. Eren pulled off Levi's shirt instantly at the sound, pausing only for a moment as his eyes raked over Levi's body. 

"So beautiful." Eren whispered before attacking Levi's neck, sucking a deep red mark into his skin as his hand teased Levi's chest; Levi arching at the stimulation, a silent cry on his lips.  

Eren moved from Levi's neck; sucking on his collarbones, licking down his stomach, and nipping at his hips while Levi whimpered. 

"I need to taste you." Eren breathed, sliding off the bed and pulling Levi to the edge; legs open and on display for his Alpha, erection throbbing and laying against his lower stomach, hole dripping. Eren's breath cool on the wetness that clung to his thighs. Levi sobbed, hips thrashing, looking for the touch he craved before Eren chuckled lightly. 

"Ereeen." Levi whined breathlessly; nearly screaming when he felt the hot tongue flatten against his entrance. His body shook, trembling with unknown pleasure as Eren lapped at the slick trickling out of him, moaning in pleasure as he held down Levi's hips and licked up every drop. 

Levi covered his face with his hands, crying at the intense pleasure he had never felt before. He had pleasured himself before, even using that small dildo when he had been in heat, but using only his fingers on the sparse occasions he had felt the need but this was on an entirely different level. Heat was building up inside him; coiling in his lower stomach as Eren's hot tongue swirled around his entrance, his eyes were streaming with tears, loud gasps and wails of pleasure escaping his lips.  

His vision went white when Eren pressed a finger inside of him; lips moving up to his neglected and paining erection, licking from base to tip. Levi let out a silent scream as the buildup became too much; arching his back as pleasure exploded inside of him, painting his chest with small strings of white. 

Levi fell back onto the bed, he was exhausted already but the heat hadn't lessened, if anything he felt hotter, needier, insatiable. Eren moved up to capture his lips again, fingers still moving inside of him, stretching and softening. Levi kissed him hungrily, pulling him impossibly closer as he grinder against him.  

He wanted the Alpha now! Heat made an Omega's body ready, without the need for preparation and Levi whined at Eren's teasing. "Alpha please." He whimpered, making Eren growl; moving off the bed, standing over Levi while his hungry eyes devoured the Omega before him, fingers almost tearing away his pants. 

Levi lifted himself on his elbows; eyes widened as the Alpha's pants dropped to the floor, his engorged member standing at painful attention and dripping from the tip. The Omega let out a soft cry as he spread his legs further, slick gushing from his entrance as he begged for the Alpha to take him. Eren was back on him in seconds, kissing his neck, mouthing his scent gland, moaning as he rubbed his large erection into Levi's equally painful one. 

"Levi, I want you." Eren's voice low and dominating, but uncommanding. No matter how much the Alpha wanted to sink himself into the Heat stricken and Omega, Levi knew Eren would never continue without permission. 

"Take me." Levi breathed, holding tight around Eren's neck, breathing in the Alpha's overwhelming scent.  

Eren groaned at the words, kissing Levi deeply again before lining himself up with the trembling Omega. He sunk in slowly; Levi crying out in the pleasure laced pain of the unfamiliar stretch, he clutched onto Eren's shoulders, probably leaving marks as his nails dug in.  

Eren didn't flinch, even in the haze of the Rut and Heat scents swirling around him, the inordinate sense of arousal and need; Eren was gentle, inching his way into Levi slowly so the tiny Omega wouldn't feel more pain than was necessary. Levi's heart exploded in adoration, his Alpha was so kind and caring, so powerful and dominant yet gentle.  

Levi wrapped his legs around Eren's waist, holding them together tightly as Eren was fully seated inside him, their lips moving together as though they were made for nothing else. He felt so full, Eren was everywhere; on top of him, around him, inside of him, there was nowhere left untouched   

He threw his head back with a loud gasp as Eren finally began to move; the pain was gone, there was nothing but pleasure as the heavy scent surrounded him and Eren moved inside of him. He started out slow, teasing and building the pleasure inside Levi before snapping his hips into the tiny Omega. Levi howled in pleasure as Eren took him, fast and hard, lips never leaving his. 

Levi saw stars, colorful bursts behind his eyelids as he closed his eyes, orgasm washing over him as Eren pounded into his prostate relentlessly. But he wasn't finished; his body hadn't had enough yet, he wanted more of Eren, all of him. 

As though Eren could sense exactly what he wanted, what his body craved, the Alpha lifted him up, holding him close as their chests pressed together, mouths moved desperately against each other and Eren reached impossibly deeper into Levi's body. His trembling legs refusing to properly bounce him on the Alpha's lap as large hands griped his hips and did it for him.  

"You're so beautiful, so perfect. I'm so close." Eren whispered into Levi's ear, hot breath making him shiver as he mouthed at Eren's jaw, feeling Eren's knot beginning to swell inside of him. 

Eren bit down at the join of Levi's neck and shoulder as he came, knot expanding rapidly. Levi cried out as he came again, body convulsing as Eren filled him up completely. He was dry, he had nothing left, but as Eren's knot pressed against his prostate he couldn't stop the intense pleasure that washed over him. 

"I-I.. Can't.. Stop.." Levi whimpered as multiple orgasms washed over him, Eren holding him tightly, licking the small wound he had given him. 

"Shh." Eren whispered, running his fingers through Levi's damp hair, scent coming down from the intense arousal and filling with calm and relaxation to soothe the whimpering Omega. He held Levi tightly as he moved them; laying down on the pillow with Levi on his chest, still connected to him. 

The change in position easing the intensity of Eren's touch inside him, allowing Levi to take a deep breath and melt into Eren's arms. The cloudiness of his mind and haziness of his eyes ebbing away. 

"That was amazing." Eren whispered, fingers scratching at Levi's undercut affectionately, Levi nodded with an content hum. 

"I've never shared a Rut before." Eren said quietly, even without seeing his face Levi could hear the smile in his voice. 

"Not even with M---" Levi stopped, eyes wide as realization of what they had just done hit him like a bucket of cold water.  

How could they have done this? How could he have done this? He had been so consumed by his Heat that he had forgotten that Eren was not his, he was not his. Eren was in a relationship with Mina, he was having a baby with Mina.. 

"Levi, calm down." Eren said, eyes wide with panic as the distressed scent rolled off of Levi. 

"No! This was wrong. We shouldn't have done this. What about Mina? She's pregnant..." Levi broke down into a sob, not knowing what to do as he was connected to the larger man. 

"It's not my baby." Eren said, holding Levi's face in his hands. 

"You don't know that! Do you really want to ruin your chance with him if he turns out to actually be yours??" Levi yelled, shaking his head, panic welling up inside of him as his breathing became erratic. 

He had to get away; away from Eren, away from what they had done. He pressed his hands against Eren's chest and pushed himself off the Alpha, forcing himself off of the knot that connected him.  

The pain was blinding, Levi fell to the floor in agony as he ripped himself away from the Alpha. All the warnings his health teachers gave him to never force a knot, of the pain that would come with it, they were nothing to prepare him for the actual feeling of it. The physical pain, the pain of loss and emptiness, the feeling of rejection despite being the one to initiate it; he couldn't move, just curled onto the floor, barely hearing Eren's yelling. 

He felt Eren lift him into his arms, the ringing in his ears letting up enough to hear his sobs. Levi looked up into the glistening ocean eyes as tears streamed down Eren's face, mouth moving into quiet 'I'm sorry' repeatedly as he lay him down in the bed. 

"Get out. Please" Levi begged and Eren's head fell down onto his chest, shoulders shaking violently as he begged for forgiveness. 

"Please." Levi whispered and Eren finally leaned back, staring into his eyes for one more moment, tears still falling as he nodded and stood up. 

 

Levi couldn’t watch him go. He curled up as the pain washed over him; the physical pain of forcing a knot, the emotional pain of what he had just done to Mina and the sanctity or relationships, and the heartbreak of forcing Eren to leave him when he needed him the most.  

 

He grabbed his horse off his nightstand, clutching the old plush toy close to him as he sobbed into the pillow still drenched with Eren’s scent.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry...
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Husband finds out about writing* 
> 
> H: What’s it about?  
> Me: Nope!  
> H: can I read it?  
> Me: Nope!  
> H: Do you just mix all the things you like together? Like does Ed fly Voltron?  
> Me: … wtf  
> H: When do you write it?  
> Me: I have literally been sitting 3 feet from you writing on the laptop for 2 weeks....  
> H: I didn't know what you were doing b'y! 
> 
>  
> 
> So this chapter didn't go quite as far as I intended but I feel like it would have been rushed if it had and wouldn't have matched the pace of the rest of the story.  
> Still important things happening though!!
> 
> I'll even give it to you early because I finished it last night and why not :D
> 
> Thank you for all the comments on the last chapter.  
> You're all so frustrated and angry, probably about ready to kill me but I love it!
> 
> Please enjoy!

Levi's didn't remember his Heat being so painful.

Maybe it was because he hadn’t had one in nine years, maybe the damage caused by his suppressants made his body unable to take to a heat properly. 

Or maybe it was because he spent the first few hours of his heat with the love of his life before unknotting himself and forcing the Alpha to leave him alone; maybe his body wasn't handling his heat very well because his heart was broken.

His chest ached with the pain of what he had done, how stupid he had been to allow himself to give in to his desires, to take advantage of Eren when he was in such a state.

Any Alpha would have done what Eren had with an Omega in heat begging for it, Eren hadn't been thinking clearly, he had been upset and in rut, he had given in to his instincts and taken care of an Omega in need. Levi was supposed to be stronger than that.

His pillow still smelled of Eren, the entire room still smelled of him, hours after Eren had left. Levi clutched the pillow, breathing in the Alpha scent deeply as his stomach rolled, insides contracting painfully, and every inch of his body aching. 

He couldn't handle this, he wasn't strong enough. He needed it to stop, needed a suppressant, needed his mother...

He had gone so long without her, had grown up without her, and he had turned out fine. But he still missed her terribly, especially now as his current state could only remind him of his last Heat, the last time he had seen her alive. 

She would have known what to do. She would have kicked his ass for letting himself get so sick and follow her own path, but she would have helped him through it; helped him to get over Eren, develop a healthy platonic relationship with him.

Hell if she had been here he probably would have never left Eren, they would still be together; happy and in love. Maybe it would be their wedding Levi was planning, maybe Eren would have a baby growing inside him instead of Mina. If Levi had never left then Eren wouldn't have even met Mina, she wouldn't have helped him through his time without Levi, she wouldn't have trapped Eren with his baby or made his question her faithfulness.

Pain raked through his body as he coughed, his aching muscles so weak they could barely contract enough for the action, making him gag on the flower petals he could barely get up. He pulled them out himself, crumpling them weakly in his hand before stuffing them into his bedside table, unable to do anything more to hide them in his current state.

"Levi?" Eren's voice was low and hesitant. Levi turned over, eyes wide in surprise; he had told Eren to leave hours ago. He whimpered as Eren scent drifted inside through the small opening in the door, he was still in Rut but he seemed calm and coherent.

"W-what are you doing here?" Levi whispered, his voice hoarse and lip trembling.

"You need to eat something." Eren said coming into the room slowly, carrying a plate and a water bottle. "Please. Then I'll leave you alone again." He pleaded quietly, putting the plate with a sandwich and fresh fruit on the bed beside Levi. Levi looked up at him with blurry, tear filled eyes, unable to say anything.

"I know you don't want me here but I need you to eat. I can't leave until you do." Eren said, his body tense as he stood a safe distance from Levi's bed. Levi nodded, muscles screaming as he shifted painfully to reach the sandwich. His stomach turned at the thought of food but he knew he was starving and he would only get worse without it. He took a bite, glancing up at Eren as the Alpha watched him chew.

"I thought you left." Levi said, voice barely above a whisper before taking another bite of the sandwich.

"I'm sorry, I can’t leave until you're okay." Eren shook his head.

"You're still in Rut.." Levi rasped, taking large gulp of water to cool the raw fire in his throat.

"I know, but I'm okay now, my mind is clear. I won't touch you again." Eren said, his body trembling and his eyes glistening. Levi's heart broke all over again at the sight; he wanted nothing more than for Eren to crawl into the bed beside him, holding each other tight as the pain went away. He wanted to tell Eren that it wasn't his fault, Levi had been the one to take advantage, that he was sorry and beg for things to go back the way they were.

Things would never be the same now would they; he and Eren had crossed a line they couldn't return from. At least one that Levi could never return from; he knew Eren's touch now, how the Alpha felt against his lips, pressed against his body, and inside him, it had been the most wonderful feeling Levi had ever experience. Until his mind cleared and he realized that he shouldn't have experienced any of them at all, it had all been wrong and Levi actually was the terrible person he had been trying so hard not to be.

He couldn't give in. He couldn't tell Eren everything was okay; not for Eren or even for his own health. He needed to distance himself from the Alpha; after what had happened earlier that day he knew he wouldn't survive unless he took drastic measures.

The thought of forgetting Eren still hurt; like a hold burrowing down in his chest, aching to be filled. He couldn't do it, no matter how much it hurt to be around Eren when he could never be his, no matter how much it hurt having to distance himself from him, he couldn't forget him. It wasn't an option.

"I'll eat the rest, I promise." Levi said quietly, finishing the first half of his sandwich. Eren looked at him with pain in his eyes, as though he was conflicted between leaving Levi as he had implied or watching him finish his meal. 

He finally gave in, nodding before turning to leave. Levi held in a whimper from watching his Alpha leave him again.

Eren stopped with his hand on the door knob, shoulders slumped and head down. "I'll be right outside if you need anything." He said quietly.

"You need to go home." Levi said painfully, he didn't want Eren to leave but Eren would get sick if he didn't take care of himself during a Rut.

"I'm sorry Levi, I can't do that. I'm so.. So sorry.. For everything." Eren said, voice cracking as he hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him. Levi felt fresh tears streaming from his eyes as he collapsed back onto the pillow, sobbing quietly until the small amount of food in his stomach helped to ease his cramps enough for exhaustion to take over as he drifted into a light, restless sleep.

He must have slept for hours; overnight at least as the early morning sun was peering in through his window. His stomach was still rolling, insides cramping violently and bed uncomfortably damp under his hips. 

He rolled over, wondering if Eren was still in his apartment, but not daring to make any noise to find out. His question was answered when his eyes moved to the two thermos' on his night stand, he moved to sit up; whimpering at the pain that shot through him, both from his Heat and his activities from the day before. If he had learned anything from high school health class, forcing a knot was not an easy thing to recover from; while most cases involved rape and statistics likely involved many other injuries as well in the recovery time, Levi knew he was going to be sore for a while, no matter how gentle Eren had been otherwise.

He opened the taller thermos, unable to stop the tiny smile that spread over his lips as the sweet scent of Earl Grey met his nose. He poured some into the attached cup to let it cool and opened the other to find it filled with oatmeal made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins... just like Kuchel used to make. How she made it for him and Eren every time the younger boy would spend the night downstairs, nothing fancy, just a few simple ingredients thrown together but perfect every time. 

The fact that Eren remembered such an insignificant detail of their childhood, one that hadn't even been mentioned since they had been reunited months ago, made Levi's eyes well up with tears. This is why he couldn't forget him, this Alpha who was so sweet and so caring, even in a situation like this; he was taking care of Levi despite what the Omega had just made him do hours before.

Levi ate a spoonful of oatmeal, ignoring the painful cramps in his abdomen as he enjoyed the perfect combination, reminiscing about his mother, about Eren, about Carla.

He wanted Carla to be here, he wished he could call her and ask her to take care of him like she had on his very first Heat. She would probably drop everything and run to him, run her fingers through his hair and tell him he was going to be fine, but he couldn't; not after what he had just done with Eren, what he had just done to Mina and even Zeke. They were her family, more than he would ever be, she wouldn't be able to take his side in anything even if she had wanted to, her alliance had to stay with what was best for her son.

Levi was not what was best for Eren, Eren needed a strong healthy mate who could give him everything he wanted. Mina could be that for him, she was the perfect mate and Levi hoped her baby was Eren's, hoped with everything he had that Eren was not missing out on his chance to have a baby. 

Even if Eren didn't love Mina, even if things didn't work out with her he still hoped it was his baby, hoped that the woman Eren had loved at some point had not betrayed him and Eren had a chance to have a family. 

If by some miracle he and Levi were able to further their relationship in the future, a baby was something he could never give his Alpha. If Eren ever rediscovered his feelings for Levi then this might be Eren's only chance for a child, and given the chance Levi would love the baby like his own.

He had to stop thinking this way; getting his hopes up had only caused him trouble in the past. It was just the Heat haze getting to him, his subconscious remembering the day before but conveniently forgetting everything else around it. It didn't matter than Eren didn't love Mina or that he questioned the paternity of her child; they were still together. Hell, he was still with Zeke, despite not having any real feelings for the older Alpha he had still cheated on him. It didn't matter that Zeke regularly slept with another Omega or that Mina's baby might not be Eren's; they still cheated on their significant other's and they should have been better than that.

Levi finished his oatmeal and tea before curling up on the bed again. He needed a shower, he felt filthy; covered in sweat, grime, bodily fluids, but his muscles ached and his insides rolled, it was too painful to even think about moving.

His mind and body were exhausted to the point he was able to slip in and out of consciousness, though it did nothing but pass the time; he slept restlessly and woke up in more pain than he had gone to sleep. His heat wasn't easing, if anything it was getting worse; it had only been little more than a day, Levi wasn't sure how he would be able to manage the rest of the week like this. 

Eren had snuck some more food into the room in what seemed to be the afternoon, Levi had been unsure of the time as he kept his eyes closed and breathing even to feign sleep. He could feel the Alpha's eyes on him as he lingered beside the bed for a long moment, his heavy scent washing over Levi, soothing the ache in his body ever so slightly. Eren leaned down and placed a gently kiss on Levi's clammy forehead, the Omega unable to help but stir, eyes opening slowly to peer up into the worried turquoise gems.

"Please eat." Eren whispered, his voice still pained, scent still distressed and worried yet calming, as though he were forcing it into his scent for Levi's benefit. Levi nodded, feeling terrible that Eren was obviously neglecting his own health for Levi's sake. He needed to tell him to go home, to take care of himself, but he couldn't, he was too weak; too weak to tell him to go, too selfish to lose the Alpha scent that eased his aching muscles, too scared to be alone...

Eren gave him a small, sad smile before turning away, leaving Levi alone in the room once more. Every time Eren left the room Levi's heart would ache even more, the lump in his throat would ride and tears would fall. He wanted Eren to stay; hold him tightly, take care of him the way he had promised he would as a young child.

He swallowed his sorrow long enough to eat the bowl of soup Eren left behind before trying to get some more sleep.

It must have worked because he was startled awake some time later by the bang of the front door and an angry growl coming from just beyond his bedroom door.

"Levi?! Are you okay?" Erwin's voice boomed. The hurried stomping of two Alphas ringing through the apartment.

"Eren, what the fuck are you doing here?" Mike growled viciously.

"Get away from his door. Now." Erwin said, his voice calm yet furious and dripping with more dominance than Levi had ever heard. Eren had yet to say anything, but Levi could smell the intense scent of protection and dominance seeping in through the seam of the door.

Levi forced himself to get up at the first sound of a bang, pulling a blanket around him and dashing toward the door as his body screamed at him; his insides constricting and legs barely working but he had to stop the three Alpha's from killing each other. 

"Put him down!" He cried, trying not to collapse as the overpowering Alpha scent hit him. Mike and Erwin both had a thrashing and growling Eren pinned against the wall; green eyes wide and wild as they fell on Levi.

"Levi! Are you okay? What did he do to you?" Mike asked, not lessening his arm against Eren's neck as he held him against the wall.

"I'm fine. He didn't do anything. Please don't hurt him." Levi begged, unable to stay up any longer and sliding down to the floor, body trembling.

"Don't move." Mike said in his strong Alpha voice, looking Eren straight in the eye. Eren didn't back down, did not show fear or submit but he did nod and stood tensely still as the two let him go; Erwin rushing over to Levi and swooping him into his arms and carrying him to the bathroom.

"I'm fine, I promise." Levi said weakly, trying not to wince as Erwin sat him down on the bathroom counter, running hot water over a wash cloth before gently cleaning Levi's face and neck.

"What happened? We come home, we can smell Eren's rut before we even open the door, he's sitting against your door, you're in Heat, he attacks us when we try to get to you." Erwin explained, completely baffled by the situation. "And now I'm the shittiest friend in the world because I don't remember you ever going into Heat before and I've never asked why." He added, eyes beginning to glisten as he rinsed out the cloth.

"It's not your fault. I haven't had them as long as I've known you. I didn't tell anyone why." Levi said quietly. 

"Tell me what happened now. You can tell me everything else later but I need to know that he didn't hurt you." Erwin said gently, his blue eyes boring into Levi's.

"He didn't hurt me." Levi whispered, it wasn't a lie, Levi had been the one to harm himself. Eren had had nothing to do with the forced unknotting.

"His Rut started when he got here, he didn't know. My Heat started later, I wasn't careful, I've never reacted to you or Mike when in Rut so I assumed I'd be fine. I was wrong and we..." Levi's couldn't hold back the tears anymore. "I didn't mean to. I shouldn't have done it. He's with Mina." He sobbed quietly and Erwin pulled him into his chest.

"It's not your fault." He said soothingly. "You weren't in your right mind."

"I'm not a cheater." Levi whispered, Erwin's fingers smoothing down his hair.

"I know you’re not." He said, kissing the top of Levi's head before moving to the bathtub.

Erwin helped Levi into the lukewarm bathtub before ensuring he was okay and leaving the room for a few moments before coming back to help Levi wash up and carry him back to his room. It had been aired out slightly; the scent blockers Erwin and Mike used during their Rut obviously sprayed around the room, the bed changed with extra soft towels laid down over the damp mattress to make it more comfortable.

"Where's Eren?" Levi asked as Erwin laid him down on the bed.

"He's in the kitchen with Mike. He calmed down but refused to leave." Erwin explained.

"He has to go home. He's in Rut, he's going to be sick if he doesn't take care of himself." Levi pleaded.

"You need to worry about yourself. I'm this close to taking you to the hospital." Erwin said sternly.

"I'm fine, it's just Heat, I haven't had one in nine years it's just hitting me hard." Levi whimpered, curling in on himself as a wave of cramps hit him, the loss of Eren's scent on his new pillow tearing a whimper from his throat. "He needs help." He begged.

"Alright fine." Erwin nodded with a deep sigh. "We'll make sure he gets home safely." He said, fluffing the pillows around Levi to help the Omega get comfortable before heading out of the room again to let Levi rest in private.

They had cleaned Eren up and Mike had brought him home, while Erwin stayed to on watch over Levi; checking on him hourly, bringing him food and drink, and even calling his boss to let him know Levi wouldn't be to work that week. 

Mike had picked up some medication to help ease Levi's Heat; they helped a little, making the cramps more bearable and less often, enough to actually get some rest between waves.

He was even feeling better by Wednesday; it must have been showing because both Mike and Erwin had reluctantly agreed to go to work, where one or the other had been home at all times since they returned on Sunday evening. 

He spent the day resting, trying to will the time away, until he heard banging on his front door.

"Levi! Let me in!" Carla's voice rang through the apartment, the blood rushing from Levi's face as he realized he had stood her up for their Wednesday lunch. Carla was here, there's no way she didn't know he was in Heat, she'd probably smell Eren's lingering scent in the apartment, this was not going to be good. Levi wrapped himself up in his sheet and hurried to the door despite his screaming muscles.

Carla didn't look angry when he opened the door; she looked worried and sad, almost on the verge of tears. "Are you okay?" She asked. Levi nodded, the mere sight of her making his eyes well up. She stepped inside, pulling Levi to her arms.

"You should have called me." She said, rubbing his back as he trembled in her arms.

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered, holding her tight before she led him back into his bedroom where she made him comfortable on his bed before laying down next to him; Levi's head resting on her lap while she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry I bailed on lunch." Levi said quietly, relaxing into Carla's motherly embrace after a hard wave of cramps finally eased.

"I don't care about that Levi. I was just upset that I had to find out from your boss that you were in Heat. You should have told me yourself, you know I would have come to take care of you." Carla said, giving him a squeeze.

"It just happened, I didn't expect it." Levi said quietly. "I did something terrible." He whimpered, barely loud enough to even here.

"What was it?" She asked gently.

"I can't tell you." Levi sobbed quietly, burying his face in her leg. He wanted to tell her, needed to tell her what he had done but he'd lose her if he did. He took advantage of her son, made him cheat on his girlfriend, the mother of Carla's grandchild.

"You slept with my son." Carla said simply, making Levi tense up, waiting for the blow, but Carla's hand just continued running through his hair gently. "I can smell him on you." She said simply.

"I'm sorry." Levi repeated, he didn't know what else to say but to beg for forgiveness.

"You don't need to apologize Levi. Tell me what happened." She said, her tone soothing and motherly.

"I-I don't know. He went into Rut when he got here. I-I thought I'd be okay, I've never been affected before." Levi tried to explain.

"He triggered your Heat and you both lost control of your instincts." Carla finished for him and he nodded. "Accidents happen Levi, no one is mad at you."

"What about Mina?? What about the baby? I seduced Eren, made him cheat on his family!" Levi cried, sitting up to look into soft brown eyes that looked so much like Eren's other than the color.

"You didn't make him do anything. Eren is a grown man, you didn't force him to do this it just happened. I'm not making excuses for cheating, I don't believe there is ever a good reason for it, but Eren is going through some things right now. He's been upset and I guess he just lost control of himself. I'm sorry you had to get caught up in it." Carla explained.

"He's worried about the baby." Levi said quietly, leaning back down onto Carla's legs.

"That's my fault. I had concerns and I let him know." She said, returning her fingers into his hair.

"You don't think it's his either?" Levi asked quietly.

"She's too big for four months, the timing seems forced, and I've seen the way she's acted around you and Eren. I've also seen how she acts around her friend Thomas. Eren may have too naïve and trusting to see it but I'm not." Carla said, anger rising up in her voice.

"How can you find out?" Levi asked, heart breaking for Eren; the thought of the baby not being Eren's couldn't outweigh the sadness he felt for Eren to be going through this. 

"She refuses to take a test; tells him he's being ridiculous. Maybe he is, maybe I'm completely wrong, but I guess we'll have to wait until the baby is born before we'll know for sure." Carla said with a sigh.

"She was such a sweet girl, I was so glad he had her when we moved. He was so upset about you, so angry that we couldn't do anything, couldn't look for you, steal you away from your Uncle. She helped ease the pain and I think she reminded him of you; she was quiet and polite, seemed to really enjoy having him around, she also looked a bit like you, in color mostly." Carla said with a reminiscing smile.

"I'm glad he had her." Levi whispered. "I wish I had been there."

"So do I, more than anything in this world. But I'm also glad you weren't; from what you've told me you've had a wonderful life. If you didn't move away you wouldn't have met your family or your amazing friends, you wouldn't be who you are right now." Carla explained. 

Levi sat up again, giving her a sad nod. He couldn't imagine his life without them. Kimi who had taken such good care of him when he needed it, Mikasa who was mildly obsessive towards protecting him, Hange and Erwin who had been his best friends since they met so many years ago, they would do anything for him; had done so much for him without question of thought of anything in return. 

He loved them all so much. But he loved Eren too. All these years without Eren by his side, his loneliness eating away at him and throwing him into depression that even the people he loved dearly could barely get him out of. 

Only to meet the love of his life again and be forgotten and rejected while his Alpha had moved on. Eren had found someone else, fallen in love with someone else, possibly made a baby with someone else. All this had happened while Levi rejected everyone who had shown the slightest interest in him, unable to feel anything toward anyone else while he waited for his Alpha.

An Alpha who had strung him along for months, getting his hopes up only to let them crash and burn over and over again while he kept choosing Mina. Levi couldn't do this anymore; he couldn't allow himself to fall for Eren's indecisiveness anymore, he couldn't allow himself to keep getting sicker over an Alpha who obviously didn't want him, or at least couldn't figure out if he was worth losing Mina over.  

 

"What if she's right and it is Eren's baby." Levi asked. He knew Eren wouldn't leave her if it was, he'd stay with her the rest of his life just to be with his child, even if it made him miserable.

"Then we'll love him as though none of this had ever happened." Carla said. "But I don't think Eren should stay with her." She added solemnly, Levi looked up at her in surprise.

"He doesn't love her. He's just going to end up hurting himself, the baby, and the one he does love." She said, a sad but knowing expression on her face.

"W-who does he love?" Levi asked quietly and Carla just gave him a soft smile.

"I think you know as well as I do." She said as he looked away shyly. He knew she meant well but these were the kind of things that got his hopes up and he couldn't allow himself to let that happen anymore.

He gasped as another wave of cramps washed over him, curling in on himself and laying back down on his pillow. Carla shushed him, releasing a calm Beta scent to help soothe him through the pain.

"Alright, you get some rest." Carla said, leaning down to kiss him when the pain finally subsided. The cramps weren't nearly as bad as they had been for the first few days of his heat but they still took his breath away, especially the ache in his backside; his inner Omega begging to be filled but the physical trauma he had sustained making every pulse or movement in his lower half setting fire to his nerves.

"I'm going to go make dinner for you and those wonderful Alphas that have been taking care of my precious yet stubborn son." Carla said with a playful glare, Levi unable to help the smile that spread over his lips over Carla calling him her son. He missed his mother so much, he always would, but if she couldn't be here then Carla was the best he could ask for.

She fluffed his pillows, straightened out his blankets and left for the kitchen while he willed himself to drift off to sleep.

Carla had come back every morning until Levi's Heat was over; she cooked, cleaned, took care of Levi, and even took care of the two very stressed out Alpha's who had been worried sick over Levi. She even stayed for a day after Levi's Heat to help him recover, he wasn't sure what he would have done without her.

Hange didn't come over until Levi was recovering, he knew it was because Erwin had forbidden it. Hange had the best of intentions but she could be overbearing and loud, especially when upset and Erwin knew Levi wouldn't have been able to handle it. When she did come over, however, she threw herself into him; holding him tightly in her arms for a solid ten minutes before even considering letting go.

"Are you okay?" She finally asked, her eyes glistening through fogged glasses as she lessened her grip on him. He nodded shyly; embarrassed over what he did, knowing that she would never judge him but unable to stop from judging himself.

"Erwin said Eren was here when they found you. Did you?" She asked gently and he nodded again, tears spilling down his face as she pulled him back in.

"I'm sorry." He sobbed quietly.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" She asked with a soft laugh.

"Because I should have listened to you, I should have stayed away from him, I should have known better." He cried softly.

"There's no use dwelling on it now. You'll just have to start. No more seeing him, no more talking to him or spending time with him until you're better. Have you had an attack?" She asked, her voice hushed so Erwin and Mike wouldn't hear her in the other room. He nodded again, unable to lie to her about this.

"I'm going to go see someone. Someone Dr. Langar recommended at the hospital." He said quietly and she squeezed him.

"Thank you, Levi." Hange said, tears falling from her eyes. "I know you don't want to lose him but losing you would be worse." She added. 

"Everything alright?" Erwin asked, coming back into the living room with a round of hot tea for everyone.

"Yeah, just feeling a little emotional." Hange said, cuddling into Levi.

"I hear ya." Erwin said, sitting on the chair facing them. "It's been a Hell of a week." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry I put you through this." Levi said quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Don't be! You were never a bother, we were just so worried about you." Erwin reassured, the front door grabbing everyone's attention as Mike walked in with an armful of takeout for the group.

"So we have some news." Erwin said, after they had all situated themselves with their meals comfortably from the couches. Levi and Hange perked up curiously, watching the two grinning Alpha's sitting across from them.

"I know there's been a lot going on this week, but maybe this will lighten the mood a little." Mike added.

"You're pregnant!" Hange shouted with a grin.

"Not quite." Erwin laughed.

"Unfortunately. How beautiful would he be all rounded and full of my babies." Mike said with a playful growl, kissing the end of Erwin's straight nose as the smaller Alpha blushed.

"Obviously, being two Alpha's, we're unable to have children together. We've been talking about it for a while and we've decided to adopt. We applied to the agency and our application was accepted a few days ago." Erwin said, eyes shining with excitement.

"You're getting a kid??" Hange gasped.

"Not yet! It might take years before we get a child, but we're at least on the way to making it happen. I know we're not married yet and we don't have a house, maybe it's a little fast but.." Erwin rambled nervously.

"It's amazing." Levi interrupted him. Erwin looked at him in surprise.

"You two have been together for  _years_ , I've said it over and over but you two are the best people I know, if anyone deserves a child it's you. You will be the absolute best parents in the world and I can't wait to be an Uncle." Levi said, watching as a smiling Mike put his arm around his future husband.

"Thank you, Levi." He said.

"I'm so excited!!" Hange squealed, jumping up and attacking the two Alpha's with a hug. "I want to know the minute you're picked for a kid! I want to be godmother!!" She yelled excitedly.

"We were actually hoping you both would be." Erwin laughed.

"I'd prefer godfather, but whatever works for you." Levi smirked, making Erwin laugh happily.

They spent a nice evening together, the atmosphere considerably lightened with Mike and Erwin's news. Levi enjoyed the focus not being on him for a while. They ate dinner, watched some movies, and then Erwin helped Levi get back to bed since his body was still a little too weak for a lot of movement.

It took Levi another week before he was able to go back to work, even then he had a bit of trouble lugging the paper around; Jean had graciously picked up the slack for him, the Alpha, like everyone else was obviously worried about him. 

None of his friends had ever really noticed Levi's lack of Heat; he had never had one as long as he had known most of them and never spoken about it. It had understandably never crossed their minds until now. He had gotten many texts, calls, and the occasional visit from most of them; none staying long except Hange, Petra and Mikasa who would barely leave him alone. He could see the concern in their eyes as they saw how weak he had become, how long it was taking him to recover. Normally a healthy Omega would recover from a Heat in less than a week; but he wasn't a healthy Omega was he? He had damaged organs from years of harsh medication, lungs full of flower petals, and a self-inflicted knot related injury that made his entire body ached.

Zeke hadn't crossed Levi's mind at all during his Heat. Not until he was recovering and finally looked at his phone; finding the missed calls and text messages from his boyfriend.

He felt terrible; calling to apologize though Zeke was his usually kind and caring self. Carla had told him what was going on and Zeke waited patiently until Levi was feeling better.

"I'll be right over there." Mikasa said as they walked into the café where Levi was meeting with Zeke.

"I don't need a babysitter Mikasa." Levi said.

"I'll be right there." She repeated with a glare. She had been even more protective lately, though he knew with good reason.

"Thank you." He said with a sigh and walked over to the table where Zeke was looking down at his phone, waiting for him with two hot beverages.

"Hey!" He said, looking up with a big smile as Levi sat down across from him. 

"Hey." Levi said shyly.

"You look beautiful as always, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Levi said with a small smile.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Zeke asked, leaning on the table and looking into Levi's eyes.

Levi felt his heart beat quicken nervously as he stared at the Alpha before him. The Alpha that treated him so well, was so kind to him and pleasant to be around. But Levi didn't love him, he felt almost nothing for him beyond simple friendship. He couldn't do that anymore, not to Zeke and not to himself.

He couldn't be with someone he didn't love or have any hope of falling in love with. It wasn't healthy for him and it wasn't healthy for Zeke. Levi was sure Zeke's feelings were no stronger than his own; they were comfortable together and being a busy doctor with a low maintenance relationship was probably ideal for Zeke at the moment but they both needed to move on. They both needed to find someone who's love would consume them, would make them forget about everyone else and wonder why they hadn't found each other sooner. 

Someone Levi was almost sure both of them had found. Perhaps Zeke would have a little more luck with it than Levi had.

"I don't think this is working." Levi said quietly and the smile on Zeke's face slipped away slowly.

"What?" He asked, sitting up straight.

"Us. I don't think we should do this anymore." Levi clarified.

"Why not? I thought we were having a good time." Zeke said.

"We were. I always enjoy my time with you." Levi insisted.

"Then what's the problem?" Zeke asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't love you." Levi said quietly. "And you don't love me." He added, peering up at him.

"So? It's only been a couple months." Zeke insisted.

"I don't think time will change anything, especially when I think you're in love with someone else." Levi said and Zeke's eyes widened and mouth opened in surprise.

"I don't have much of a scent, but that doesn't mean I can't detect them like other Omegas." Levi began quietly, Zeke's face turning guilty.

"I'm sorry Levi." He said but Levi shook his head.

"It's fine. I knew it was happening and I didn't say anything because I honestly didn't care. I like you as a person but I knew from the beginning out relationship wasn't going anywhere." Levi explained, surprise coming back to the Alpha's face.

"I also know that you weren't sleeping around. You were cheating but it was always with the same Omega. They must be special to you, it made me wonder why you weren't with them in the first place." Levi said.

"I.. I'm not sure. She is special, very special. Her name is Pieck." Zeke said quietly.

"Then what's the problem?" Levi asked.

"She won't date me. She says she wouldn't fit in. She's eccentric and messy. Her hair and clothes are almost always disheveled, she makes awkward small talk because she's too smart for her own good, and her legs are bad so public functions are hard on her." Zeke explained.

"But you don't care about any of that." Levi said and Zeke shook his head.

"Then you need to tell her. Tell her that none of that matters to you and all you'll ever need is each other. Don't waste your time with someone else when she's the only one you want!" Levi exclaimed.

"You truly are amazing Levi." Zeke said with a smile.

"Yeah yeah." Levi smirked, waving him off.

"No I mean it. Eren is a moron for not dumping Mina the moment he saw you again." Zeke said, putting a hand over Levi's.

"Yeah well, not everyone gets a happy ending." Levi said, looking away shyly.

"I wouldn't say that. Things are a mess right now, but that doesn't mean you won't get one." Zeke said with a soft smile.

"Thanks." Levi said quietly.

"Well Levi, it's been a pleasure dating you. I truly did enjoy your company and I hope we can remain friends, especially since you are part of the family." Zeke said, standing up from the table and pulling Levi into a hug.

"Of course. Keep me posted on Pieck." Levi smiled up at him and Zeke nodded with a smile.

Levi didn't go home after the café; after Mikasa dropped him off at his apartment building, he waited for her to leave before calling a cab and making his way to the hospital.

He fidgeted uncomfortably in the hard chair of the waiting room, he felt sick; his stomach turning at the thought of the tests he was going to take. Tests that would tell him how bad it was, how full his lungs were, how much he had failed. 

They were going to tell him he needed surgery, it was his only option at this point.

What would it be like to forget about Eren? What would it be like to not feel the pain of loving the beautiful Alpha without being loved in return. Things would be easier, his chest wouldn't hurt all the time, he wouldn't have flower petals getting stuck in his throat, wouldn't have to hide every time he coughed, just so no one would find out about his disease.

But what happened when he did get the surgery? They would all know how weak he was; the poor helpless Omega that couldn't even get over a stupid crush. 

Mikasa would kick his ass for not telling her, Erwin wouldn't be mad but he'd feel betrayed that Levi couldn't come to him with it. Connie would probably lose some of the ill placed hero worship he seemed to feel for Levi. 

Carla would probably cry; she's probably get mad at him for not telling her. Would she even still want him around if he didn't know her son?

Would he be introduced to Eren as though they had never met? How would Eren even take it? Eren told him over and over he was his best friend, would he be okay with Levi forgetting that? Forgetting him when he was dealing with so much right now, when he needed his best friend the most?

How could Levi forget him? How could he wipe away the memories of the little boy that instantly became his friend and claimed him as his mate at six years old. The kindergarten boy who stood up to a boy over twice his size when he was picking on Levi, or the twelve year old who guarded Levi's door as he experienced his first heat.

"Historia Fritz?" The nurse called out for the third time, finally pulling Levi out of his daze at the fake name he had given the hospital staff. He stood up nervously, feeling the bile rise in his throat as she rolled her eyes and told him to follow her.

He stopped before reaching the doors leading to the examination rooms. He couldn't go in there, he couldn't forget Eren.

There had to be another way..

"I..I. I can't." He said, throat tightening as he tried to hold back the tears.

"Something wrong Mr. Fritz?" The nurse asked, stepping toward him with an outstretched hand. Levi recoiled quickly.

"I have to go." He said before dashing in the opposite direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!
> 
> Ever have one of those weeks where you're just imaginatively blah?   
> Like I know exactly where I want the next chapter to go, I even had the beginning all written out but it was ass and I deleted it. Then I stared at it for 2 days and I have nothing...   
> (~6000 word weekly updates are hard!) So I apologize in advance if the next chapter or subsequent chapters are late (especially with how this one ends, omg you're going to kill me!
> 
> On a lighter note!  
> Mention's of Erwin's birthday in this chapter because we're birthday buds so I had to.
> 
> Speaking of birthdays. My husband got me a freaking Kitten. I got him a week early, I was not expecting him whatsoever, and he's soo tiny! 
> 
> Anyway, here it is. As a birthday present to you [to me because I want comments] I'll even give it to you early-ish
> 
> Please enjoy

 

 

 

Pretending to be okay was relatively easy for Levi.

He had had close to a decade of experience afterall...

He went about his life as though nothing that had happened in the past two weeks had any impact on him; not his heat, not his breakup, not even Eren. He continued going to work, planning Erwin and Mike's wedding, spending time with his friend.

One thing that had changed was his interactions with Eren; he was avoiding the Alpha at all costs, ignoring his phone calls and leaving text messages unanswered. Eren seemed to get the idea as his attempts to contact him had lessened substantially; he would send a message daily, just trying to say 'Hi' or tell Levi something funny but never received an answer in return. 

Even the day Levi and Jean went to Eren's work to collect the recycled paper, Eren just looked at him with worried eyes and a sad smile.

"You look good." Eren had said softly as they waited for Levi's machine to print out a receipt.

"Thanks." Levi had avoided his eyes.

"Can we grab coffee sometime?" Eren's voice had seemed hopeful but Levi shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Levi said, tearing off the receipt and handing it to the Alpha. Eren nodded solemnly before saying goodbye.

He had decided he was never going to get better, but as long as he didn't get worse he could handle it. He could manage the handful of petals every time he coughed, he could even handle how they would often stick to this throat, making him gag until he threw up. 

As long as he was still breathing he was fine. His mother had gone 14 years living with hydrangeas in her lungs, he could handle it. He just had to stay away from Eren. If he stayed away from the Alpha he wouldn't get worse, then with enough time his feeling would stop and he could work on getting better. 

If he could do that then he wouldn't need the surgery, he wouldn't need to let everyone find out how weak he was or let them fuss over him. 

Everyone had so much going on in their lives right now; Mike and Erwin were getting married so soon, Hange was working on her Masters, Carla was getting ready for her possible grandchild.

He couldn't allow himself to be a bother.

He needed to do something with his life, something more, something to keep his mind off everything. The Wedding was planned, he had nothing to keep him busy anymore, keep him away from his thoughts of Eren.

He had no idea what was going on with Eren. He hadn't spoken to the Alpha in over a month, hadn't asked about him or even listened when others mentioned him. Not even Carla had said anything about Eren, Mina, or the baby during their weekly lunches.

He was glad she hadn't, he wasn't sure he could handle the information, but that didn't mean he wasn't curious. He wanted to know what was going on, if Eren and Mina were still together, if they had found out if the baby was his, if she had been sleeping with Thomas, and most importantly if Eren was okay.

Levi hated not being there for the Alpha. Romantic feelings aside, Eren was still the most important person in the world to him and the thought of him going through all this without him there to comfort him made him sick to his stomach.

So he found other ways to keep himself busy; helping Erwin and Mike look for a house; he had his own automated email of nearby listings in their price range that he checked daily, he cleaned the apartment obsessively, and had even started going for daily walks before dinner. He would have preferred to run or jog, but his body was still in far too much pain for anything too rigorous. Even yoga and walking could be almost unbearably uncomfortable; making his legs weak, his hips ache, and his stomach churn in nausea. 

He ignored it as best he could and hiding it from the worried Alpha's who constantly insisted he see a doctor since his Heat had ended weeks ago. 

He refused to go, he knew exactly what was wrong; his body had reacted badly to his Heat after not having one for so many years, on top of that he had forced a knot, stopped talking to the Alpha who he loved desperately, and had let his Hanahaki Disease reach a dangerous level, all because he was too weak to go through with the treatment.

October rolled around and with it, Halloween and Erwin's birthday. Levi threw himself into decorating the apartment and planning a Halloween / joint birthday party for the two Alpha's since Mike's was a little over two weeks later.

It wasn't a big party, but that didn't stop Levi from going all out with the decorations; Halloween lights all over the apartment, cotton cobwebs hanging from the top of the cupboards, fake blood splattered on the mirrors. He found himself having a pretty decent time with it.

"How'd you get the cobwebs up there? Did Mike do it or did you stand on the counter?" Hange laughed as she helped him make last minute preparations for the party, Levi dumped a bag of chips into a bowl while he glared at her. Bumping into her shoulder playfully as he walked past to throw the bag in the garbage.

"Have you gone to the doctor yet?" She asked softly, her demeanor changing to serious suddenly, making Levi realize the scent he was giving off. It wasn't a strong scent; if he had been a normal Omega it would barely be anything noticeable. But Levi wasn't a normal Omega, his scent had been muted and barely there since Hange had known him. Many people had commented on only being able to detect his scent if they were extremely close to him; everyone except Eren at least, but he had detected Levi's scent before he had even presented, his nose must have been more powerful than those around him...

His thoughts always drew back to Eren...

"Yeah, he said I was fine." Levi lied, trying to reel it in.

"So your scent is normal? Do you think maybe your body is healing from those suppressants?" She asked hopefully; she had been devastated by the news, they all had. Levi had only told the four of them; Petra had cried, Hange had beat herself up for not questioning it when she should have known better, Mike and Erwin remained calm but with matching pained expressions. They all thought they should have noticed, looking back on it, it had been weird but they just hadn't questioned it.

"Maybe." Levi said with a shrug.

"Maybe if your body can heal from that it can heal other things too." Hange added. "How's that been since..." She asked hesitantly.

"Good!" He said but the look she gave him showed she was not convinced. "It’s not worse." He added which seemed to ease her slightly.

He was lying of course. 

His coughing fits had been steady since his Heat; flowers falling every time he had more than a simple tickle in this throat. 

He had managed to keep them hidden from everyone; not daring to cough in front of anyone, especially Hange, hiding petals in his drawer until he could safely flush them down the toilet, and vacuuming constantly in case he missed any.

The fits weren't terrible; although regular they were fairly light with only a petal or two falling from his lips, but it was the gagging that got to him. They would get stuck in his throat, all of his muscles constricting as he heaved to get them up. It made his insides raw and his stomach sick.

He was in a constant state of pain. His body still ached from the Heat, his hips felt like they were breaking apart, using the bathroom was an experience in itself. Along with the regular coughing that aggravated the sore muscles and made him persistently nauseated, he wasn't sure if he would ever get better.

He could hold on though. He would hold on for Eren. He'd deal with the pain in his body and the pain in his heart from staying away from the Alpha until it didn't hurt anymore. Until he had healed, his disease was under control and he could safely resume their friendship once again.

He'd do anything for Eren.

"Good." Hange said with a small smile before they continued preparing. "What about your strength. You still seem weaker than normal." She asked carefully.

"Just a side effect of not having a Heat in so long. He said it'll just take a little longer to fully recover but everything is fine." He lied again, but the look of ease on her face made it feel worth it. She had too much on her mind to be worrying about him right now. She was going to be a mad scientist one day soon, his health couldn't be the thing to distract her from her dream.

She nodded, just as Erwin and Mike came out of the bedroom in their Halloween costumes; Erwin a Police Officer and Mike a Bank Robber. It was terrible but completely adorable. Better than Hange at least who had barely thrown a witch hat on her head.

"The place looks great! Great job Levi, you should probably think about becoming a party planner, between this and the Wedding, I think you'd be good at it." Erwin smiled. Levi just smiled, interrupted by the door as people began to arrive.

Everyone looked amazing in the costumes; some couple costumes, some not. Jean was Frankenstein's Monster while Marco was a Mummy, Connie and Reiner were both Zombies, Krista was a Vampire while Ymir a Witch. Mikasa and Sasha were Little red riding hood and the wolf, while Annie and Bertolt were Tinkerbell and Peter Pan.  

Petra was a black cat and brought more of Hange's costume to turn her into an actual Witch and Armin wore something resembling a pumpkin. 

Then there was Eren, who had fluffy ears and ripped up clothes. He was an adorable Werewolf but Levi had to wonder why the Alpha was there. He hadn't been invited.

"I invited him. You two were so close and now you're barely speaking. He's going through a hard time and I think he needs you." Mikasa had told him, her words slicing through his heart like a dull blade. He knew Eren needed him, he wanted nothing more than to be there for the Alpha, but he knew if he was going to be there for the long run he needed to stay away from him now.

His willpower wasn't strong enough. Not with Eren ten feet away from him looking so lost and broken. He tried to avoid him throughout the night, even managing to lose him for a while as he mingled between his friends that he hadn't been spending nearly enough time with lately. 

There was a reason for that it seemed; as much as he loved them all, he was getting overwhelmed by the crowd, the noise, the constant questions about his health. 

He slipped away quietly, making his way to his room for a break from the party; stopping abruptly when he opened the door to find Eren sitting on the edge of his bed, picking at Levi's stuffed horse in his hands.

"W-what are you doing in here?" Levi asked, closing the door behind him but not moving from his spot.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to get away from everyone for a bit. I shouldn't have come tonight. I just... I hate this. I hate not talking to you, not seeing you, being with you. I hate having you being mad at me!" He said, his voice hurt and angry but not at all directed at Levi.

"I'm not mad at you." Levi said softly and Eren's lip trembled.

"You should be after what I did to you." He said looking away again.

"You didn't do anything to me." Levi said, hesitantly taking a few steps closer.

"I hurt you. I forced you and then I pulled away... that must have been agony for you. I'm so so sorry." Eren said, voice cracking with an escaped sob.

"You didn't force me into anything. I wasn't thinking any more clearly than you were. I pulled myself off your knot. I panicked when my mind cleared, it was entirely my fault. Don't be mad at yourself." Levi insisted, he hated seeing Eren so upset and broken.

"Are you okay? Does it still hurt? I looked it up.. It's..." Eren said, his tears beginning to spill.

"I'm fine!" Levi interrupted, a little embarrassed talking about something so intimate with someone he shouldn't have been intimate with in the first place. "It's getting better. I saw a doctor, everything is fine," the lies were getting more and more comfortably easy to tell, but if they put his friends mind at ease then they were worth it.

"Thank god." Eren breathed. Levi slowly moving closer and sitting down on the bed. "I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you so badly. I can barely live with myself now." He said sadly. Levi's eyes trained on the floor; Eren was hurting him, but Levi knew the Alpha wasn't trying to, he knew that if Eren knew he was hurting him he would do everything he could to stop it.

Levi knew in that moment that he had fucked up; he should have told Eren everything. Told him he still had feelings for him even after so many years, that he had never stopped loving him.

Maybe things would have turned out okay. Maybe Eren would have loved him back, broken up with Mina before everything had turned to shit and they would be together and happy right now.

Even if Eren hadn't returned Levi's feelings Levi knew it wouldn't have turned out like he had thought. He knew now how much Eren cared for him, the Alpha would have let him down gently and they could have been friends now. 

Friends without Levi always wondering what could have been; Levi would have gotten his disease under control without extreme measures.

Now everything was such a mess and it was all his fault, all because he had been too weak. Now it was too late, he couldn't fix anything now, and telling anyone now would just make everything worse. Not only had he been hiding things but he was lying now too. He couldn't handle everyone being upset with him.

"Your costume is really cute by the way." Eren smiled, reaching out to touch Levi's Vampire Fangs, drawing the Omega out of his thoughts.

"So is yours." Levi said, feeling his cheeks heat up as he looked into Eren's big green eyes, the endless oceans that he never ceased to lose himself in.

"I really missed you." Eren said quietly, his smile turning soft as he stared back into Levi's eyes. Levi had to break the connection before he slipped, before he broke and climbed into Eren's arms, telling him that everything was okay and they could go back to normal like nothing have ever happened.

"How's Mina?" he asked, changing the subject before he could allow himself to give in to what he wanted most.

"She's fine, the baby is doing well." Eren said, hanging his head sadly.

"That's good. Are you still together?" Levi asked, curiosity getting the best of him, when he knew he shouldn't have wanted the answer.

"Yeah." Eren nodded, the words kicking Levi in the stomach. "I told her I don't love her and I don't want to be with her anymore. I tried to break up with me but she threatened to keep the baby from me. Until I know if he's mine, I just can't do that." Eren explained quietly.

"I understand." Levi said, scooting closer and putting a hand on the larger man's shoulder, trying his best to soothe him despite his own feelings in turmoil. "If he's yours you have to be there for him." He said gently.

"I'm going to leave her. When he's born we'll get a paternity test; If he's mine I'll fight for shared custody if I have to, but Mina and I will not be in a relationship anymore." Eren said with determination.

"That's good. You're only hurting yourself if you do." Levi said, Eren looking back up into Levi's eyes, his filled with emotion; hurt, sadness, a glimmer of hope?

"I know you've considered it before and I let you down but... after he's born and everything is straightened out... do you think...could we..." Eren began, chewing on his bottom lip nervously.

Levi felt like his stomach had dropped to the floor, like someone had his chest in a vice and was tightening it relentlessly. No! Being with Eren was everything he had ever wanted, everything he needed and he would give anything to make it real, but he couldn't do this again. He couldn't get his hopes up only to be crushed back down when things didn't turn out the way either of them wanted.

He wouldn't survive it again and he knew it.

"No!" Levi interrupted him, it came out more harsh than he had intended; guilt overcoming him as the hurt filling Eren's eyes; suffocating him as though he could feel new seeds planting themselves into his lungs.

"O-oh..." Eren said, his eyes shimmering in the soft light as he was visibly fighting back the tears.

"I'm sorry. I just... I can't." Levi said, fighting back his own tears. "We... we need some... distance... I need some time." He choked, throat thickening as a sob threatened to escape.

Eren nodded, large fat tears breaking free from his large beautiful eyes.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He whispered. "Take as much as you need. You'll always be my best friend and I'll always be here." Eren said, looking up with a big smile, wiping away the wetness from his cheeks, the lost sparkle of his dull eyes making Levi's heart wrench.

"I'm going to head out. It was nice talking to you. Text me some time if you want." He added, still with his fake smile as he stood up, placed the horse back down on the nightstand, and almost dashing out of the room.

Levi broke down as soon as the door closed; s harsh sob tearing from his throat and his tears flowing freely, as he laid down on his bed; grabbing his stuffed horse and clutching it to his chest as he tried to soak in as much of Eren's scent as he possibly could.

He had done the right thing. He knew he had. This was what was best for Eren and himself. But why did it have to hurt so much?

Eren left Levi alone as he had asked; his daily texts had stopped except for an occasional 'Hi" or a funny picture that Levi reluctantly ignored. He wished he didn't have to, he wanted so badly to give in, to just call Eren, ask him to come over and curl himself into the Alpha's arms.

He was doing what he had to. He had to stay strong and keep the distance between him and the Alpha; it was working too. Although he wasn't getting better and the petals were still coming, it wasn't getting any worse. 

He had been right when he decided that staying away from Eren and convincing himself that they had no hope for a romantic future would stall his disease. It hadn't gotten worse and that's all he could hope for at the moment.

He missed him. He tried not to think about it but he did. He missed their conversations about nothing, he missed walking through the park together and just spending time together. 

 Eren hadn't even been spending much time with his friends, other than Armin. He hadn't been to a movie night in weeks, or accepted any invitations to spend time with anyone. Everyone said he was spending all of his time alone or with Mina. 

Everyone was worried about them and knew something was going on but none of them knew exactly what it was. The sympathetic and worried look Armin had given him had told Levi that Eren had at least told him of Levi's Heat and what had happened, but the rest of them had only known Levi had gone into Heat. Other than Levi's closest friends, no one else knew he had spent the first few hours with the Alpha.

Levi was just going through the motions of life. He still hadn't regained all of his strength yet, but he was a little better than he had been. When he wasn't working he was home; sometimes cleaning, sometimes staring off into space.

Kimi and Shawn had even come to visit; Levi was sure it was because Mikasa had expressed her concerns for Levi, but he couldn't deny he was happy to see them, especially Kimi.

"Are you eating? You don't look well." Kimi fussed as the two sat on Mikasa's couch, catching up.

"I am, I've been feel a little off is all." Levi said, sipping his tea.

"Heat will do that to you. If you're not back to normal soon I want you to see someone." She said and he nodded.

"So how are things with Eren? When you two left he looked absolutely smitten, now Mikasa tells me you two aren't speaking and he's having a baby with someone else?" Kimi asked, leaning against the back of the couch, watching him.

"He was never smitten. He was with her all along and now they're starting a family. I'm just here. Doing nothing with my life." Levi said sadly.

"That's not true!" Kimi protested.

"It is, I'm uneducated, I have no plan for the future, no relationship. Erwin and Mike are getting married and starting a family soon and I'm just here.. Cleaning and wedding planning. And even that's finished!" Levi exclaimed, swallowing down the tickle in his throat.

"Then do something about it. Go to school, get a boyfriend; if you're not happy then change it!" Kimi said, her words were harsh but her eyes kind and concerned.

Levi thought about it for a moment, looking into her kind face. She was right, she had always been right. Kimi had always been there for him and there was no reason why he shouldn't listen to her now.

"You're right." He said quietly.

"Of course I am." She grinned, making him laugh lightly. He often forgot how much he liked having her around, she always gave such good advice and cared for him like her own. Kimi and Carla were so much alike and were the best mothers he could have asked for without his own.

For someone who didn't have a real family, Levi had done pretty well for himself with all the people in his life that loved him like the real thing. He couldn't help but smile to himself when Mikasa and Shawn came back with Chinese takeout and the four of them sat around the living room; talking, laughing, and eating together, having a wonderful evening. 

Kimi's words stuck with Levi; he didn't do much about it for a couple weeks but they played on his mind almost constantly. He decided he would do something about his life; he had to make his own happiness.

He shifted uncomfortably on the couch as he scrolled through the course list of the nearby college; half wondering if his lower half was ever going to heal at this point while his stomach cramped in a dull ache. He hadn't been feeling well the last couple days but was doing his best to ignore it; researching possible programs to take his mind off it and finally do something about his future. 

He may not be able to afford being a fulltime student, especially with Erwin and Mike looking into buying a house. He'd have a hard-enough time affording this apartment with his current job when they moved out, but he could probably keep up with some night classes. 

"Hey, what's up?" Mike asked, walking into the living room, plopping down on the couch beside Levi as the Omega suppressed a hiss from the pain of the movement.

"Nothing. Looking at some courses." Levi said, clicking through the information on the different school websites.

"Thinking about going to school?" Mike perked up with interest.

"Maybe." Levi shrugged. "Part time I guess. Can't give up my job for when you two decide to leave me." He smirked.

"Levi, we're never going to leave you. We can still help with the apartment even if we do move out. Or you can come with us!" Mike said earnestly, making Levi laugh.

"I'm not going with you, you don't need me imposing on your new life, especially when you get that baby. I'll be fine on my own." He assured with a smile

"It wouldn't be imposing." Mike said quietly. "Erwin and I love having you around. It's going to be very strange without you."

"Don’t worry, I'll come over at least once a week to clean the place up so you're not living in filth." Levi smirked.

"One less thing to worry about I guess." Mike laughed. "We just worry about you. With everything you've been going through and you haven't been the same since your Heat." He added, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine, I promise! It was my first Heat in 9 years, it's just taking a little longer to Heal but everything is fine." Levi insisted.

"It's been three months. You've lost weight, you're tired." Mike listed off

"It's normal! I promise I'm okay." Levi said.

"Okay." Mike nodded. "That's good to know; Erwin's been up at nights worrying about you. I swear he loves you more than he loves me." he chuckled.

"Impossible." Levi said, faking a laugh, hating that he made his friends worry so much over him when they had so much else going on. 

"Hey, Erwin's working late tonight, how about you and I go out for dinner. We haven't done anything just the two of us in a while." Mike suggested with a smile. 

"Yeah, that sounds nice." Levi said softly, "I'm starving! Let me just go freshen up." He added, making his way to the bathroom to wash his face, brush his teeth and change his clothes before the two headed out.

It was a nice evening as Levi and Mike walked the street in the cold, lightly snowing air; chatting happily until they made it to their desired restaurant.

"Table for two." Mike said with a smile at the Hostess.

"Right this way." She said, eyes moving between Levi and Mike as she grinned at the two and led them to a table by the window. It was a nice restaurant with an atmosphere nice for anything from a work lunch to a romantic evening; she, along with everyone else in the restaurant probably thought Levi and Mike were together.

"Funny how differently people act when you show up to a nice restaurant with an Omega on your arm instead of an Alpha." Mike scoffed after they were seated and the Hostess left. 

"That's disgusting, what's it to them who a complete stranger is dating." Levi grumbled, opening his menu.

"I don’t let it bother me but sometimes I worry about Erwin. He's always been worried about how 'Alpha' he seems, I hope it doesn't get to him." Mike explained, doubt in his voice.

"He's never been a stereotypical Alpha, even though he looks like one now. He's had a lot of concerns over the years but never about his feelings for you. If anyone can stand up to the bigots it's you two. Besides I'll knock anyone who has a problem with you" Levi smirked, earning himself a chuckle from the older man.

"Good Evening, my name is Thomas and I'll be your server this evening." The tall blonde waiter interrupted with a big smile; hazel eyes widening as they landed on the Omega. 

"H-hey Levi." Thomas said nervously, the two had actually never officially met; he and Levi had been at the same event a few times but Thomas would spend his time across the room with Mina or just take the Beta's lead and not speak to Levi when in the same group.

"H-hey." Levi said, glancing over at a curious Mike. "Mike, this is Thomas, he's a friend of Mina's." He introduced, the realization washing over Mikes face as his eyes hardened at the waiter.

"Nice to meet you Thomas." Mike said coldly.

"You too, can I start you two off with some drinks?" Thomas asked nervously.

"Just some water please." Levi said quietly, his stomach twisting at the sight of the Alpha who was causing his so much trouble.

"Same here." Mike said politely before Thomas nodded and scurried away from the table.

"That's the guy you think Mina is cheating with?" Mike asked quietly and Levi nodded. "His scent was as guilty as his face was nervous when he saw you, he's hiding something for sure." Mike said and Levi's heart clenched painfully at the thought. He should be with Eren, he should be helping him though this situation. This was probably the worst time of Eren's life; not knowing if he was going to be a father or not, not being able to find out, and not having Levi there to comfort him.

"Have you been speaking to Eren since... You know?" Mike asked gently and Levi looked away sadly with a shake of his head.

"Just for a minute at the party. I told him I needed some time."

"That's probably best." Mike said.

"But he needs me and I'm not there." Levi said, fighting the tears that threatened his eyes and the cough that tickled his throat.

"I'm sure he understands. If he cares for you at all then he knows that this is what’s best for you right now, and what's best for him because I will tear him apart if he hurts you again." Mike said, his eyes turning deadly.

"It wasn't his fault, neither of us knew what we were doing." Levi said quietly.

"I know, and his protectiveness over you when we got home and Erwin's clear rational thinking is the only reason he's still alive now." Mike said, he completely serious and Levi knew it.

Levi gave him a small appreciative smile and chuckle before Thomas retuned with their drinks and took their order. Levi wasn't feeling well, the cramps in his stomach getting worse, as he ordered soup, hoping it might ease something.

They didn't talk about Eren for the rest of the meal; just chatting happily about life, work, last minute Wedding details. Levi was trying to have a nice time; though he considered Erwin and Hange to be his best friends Mike was still a very close second and he always enjoyed spending time with the Alpha, however the pain in his lower abdomen was making even the simplest things difficult. 

He could barely follow the conversation they were having, barely eat his dinner, and his refill of water was doing nothing to quench his thirst. His throat was dry and aching, stomach cramping and twisting painfully; this wasn't his normal reaction to thoughts of Eren. 

Even his worst days; when he felt like everything was falling apart and he would lose everything around him, he never felt like this. Like his hips were going to crumble at any moment, like his stomach was going to rip in half, his legs were trembling, and sweat was pouring off of him.

Mike insisted on taking care of the bill and Levi didn't have the energy to fight him tonight; excusing himself through heavy breaths to get some air outside. He managed to find the side exit, stumbling through it into the alley where he collapsed against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you okay." He was startled by the unfamiliar voice, unaware that anyone else had been in the area when he rushed out. He looked up to find Thomas and another waiter outside having a smoke. 

"Oh, yeah, no I'm fine." Levi said straightening up as much as he could while ignoring his body's agonizing screams.

"Are you sure?" Thomas asked, stepping closer and Levi nodded, hoping they couldn't see sweat seeping through his shirt. "His date is the giant shaggy blonde Alpha." Thomas said to the other guy who nodded, threw his cigarette on the ground, and hurried inside.

 

"Hey, come here." Thomas said, putting an arm around Levi and leading him over to a pile of crates, sitting him down on one of them as Levi tried to even his breathing.

"We’re... not together.... Mike and I." He said as his insides squeezed.

"Oh, sorry." Thomas said. "I just assumed."

"People always do." Levi shrugged. "I-I'm sure... people think the same of y-you... and Mina when you're out...together." Levi choked out, holding his arms around himself, trying to will away the pain.

"Yeah I guess so." Thomas said, kneeling down in front of Levi, his eyes looking worried.

"Y-you're hurting Eren." Levi whimpered, rocking back and forth

"I know, I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to be this way." Thomas said sadly.

"Then fix it! Tell him!" Levi cried before felt the small amount of his dinner he had actually gotten down rising back up.

"I want to! Believe me I do!" Thomas said, rubbing Levi's back as the Omega leaned over, emptying his stomach of its soup and blue petals over the ground. "It's my baby. He's mine and I don't want Eren to have him." Thomas added, making Levi look up at him with wide eyes.

"W-why..." He croaked.

"Look at me! I'm a waiter, I'm not as smart or as successful as Eren, my family is not as rich or as powerful, she wants a good life for her and the baby. But he's mine and I can provide for him!" Thomas said almost angrily.

"He needs to be told now!" Levi said desperately. "He's going to fall in love with that baby the minute he's born and you're both going to hurt him so much more than you already have." Levi cried before a cough tore from his throat, his aching stomach muscles on fire with the movement and his head pounding with the pressure.

He couldn't control it, couldn't stop. He was on the ground before he could comprehend what was happening; cough violently and heaving as blood splattered flower petals falling from his throat. They didn't stop, there were so many, he couldn't catch his breath or move from his hands and knees.

He was in agony, every muscle in his body was burning, his insides felt like they were ripping apart, his hips felt like they were crumbling and he could feel wetness trickling down his thighs and seeping through his pants.

This wasn't heat, it couldn't be Heat. His Heat had been terrible, being unknotted had been the worst physical pain he had ever experienced, but they were nothing compared to this; every nerve in his body was on fire and screaming in agony. 

Was this the end? Was this what it felt like to die? 

"Levi! LEVI!!" He could hear Mike screaming, the large Alpha pulling him into his arms as the coughing still wouldn't stop. "Call an Ambulance!!" He screamed at Thomas who fumbled to take his phone out.

The coughing finally subsided, Levi's throat raw and burning, his body throbbing. He looked up into Mike's terrified eyes, the Alpha's shirt and even parts of his skin splattered with blood.

"You're going to be okay. There's an ambulance on the way." Mike said through a trembling voice, Levi had never seen the Alpha looking so scared as he shifted Levi in his arms; lifting his hand into view for a moment, long enough for Levi to see the blood that covered it before the wide-eyed Alpha returned it underneath Levi. "It's going to be okay." He whispered, rocking Levi back and forth in his arms until the faded sound of a siren and the flashing red emergency lights came into view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, I'm sorry.
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Look!  
> Fluffy Angst!
> 
> This chapter was hard. I spent more time staring at the computer screen than actually writing.  
> Let me know if there are errors and I hope you like it!

Levi faded in and out of consciousness; his eyes were unfocused and his ears were ringing. He could hear the emergency sirens wailing nearby, Mike shouting at the Paramedics, and unfamiliar voices asking him questions, but it was so distant and muted. 

He felt like a rag doll as he was poked, prodded, blinded by a small flashlight, before he was lifted and strapped to a stretcher and carried into the ambulance.

His vision was blurry and his head was swimming as he watched the lights pass by in a blur; the flashing of the ambulance, the passing yellow streetlights, then the unbelievable white lights of the hospital as he was rushed through the halls.

Everything blended together.

Each hallway he was rushed down, every unfamiliar face brought into his hazy view, even the pain of every pinch and press to different areas of his body had melded together.

He could hear the words but everything was so muddled, he couldn’t pick anything out with the ringing in his ears.

He felt so weak, he allowed the doctors do whatever they wanted with him as his eyes fought to stay open. He lost count of the machines, tests and full body assessments they put through, the amount of cords they connected to him, and the hours he had been there before they moved him into a hospital bed.

His eyes drifted closed as a nurse infected his IV with some extra medication, but not before his eyes caught the two blonde Alpha's standing in the corner of the room; worried and devastated looks on their puffy eyed faces.

His eyes opened slowly, taking in the natural light coming in through the partially shaded windows. His head was still fuzzy but the pain wasn't as intense as it had been the night before; he must be on some pretty heavy drugs. 

He looked around the room, his things were on the nightstand beside his bed, there were wires and tubs leading from machines to various areas of his body, an oxygen mask strapped to his face, and a shaggy haired Alpha asleep with his head in his arms on Levi's bed.

Levi lifted his cord ridden hand and running his fingers through the blonde hair. Mike's eyes shot open and he shot up in his chair.

"Levi! You're awake!" He said, his eyes tired and lined with dark circles as though he had been up all night.

"Y...you should be home." Levi whispered, his voice hoarse and much more painful than he had been expecting; the dryness making him cough a little into the oxygen mask. 

Mike scrambled for the call button before covering Levi's tiny hand with his own; Erwin and Grisha rushing into the private room.

"Levi! How are you feeling?" Erwin asked, looking just as haggard as Mike as he leaned over the bed, smoothing Levi's hair back. Levi just nodded, unable to speak properly.

"Good to see you stable Levi." Grisha said with a soft smile. "You mind if I have a word with him alone?" He asked the two Alpha's.

"Yeah, okay. We'll go get some coffee." Erwin said reluctantly, leading Mike out of the room before Grisha sat down on the edge of Levi's bed.

"I know it hurts to speak but can you answer a few questions for me?" Grisha asked and Levi nodded nervously.

"What do you remember about last night?" He asked, pulling out his pen and clipboard.

"I wasn't feeling well. I got upset and had an attack." He whispered painfully.

"Were you aware that you have a severe case of Hanahaki Disease? Grisha asked, his voice composed and professional but his eyes were filled with pain and sadness. Levi nodded sadly, looking away from the older man's gaze.

"I didn't know how bad it was." He whispered.

"It's bad." Grisha said quietly. "It's progressed beyond treatment, I'm surprised you're still alive to be honest. Your only chance for survival would be surgery." He explained.

"T-there was treatment?" Levi croaked, eyes wide as his stomach twisted painfully at the thought that he might have gotten better without surgery, without forgetting...

"There are." Grisha nodded and Levi felt tears building in his eyes; he was so stupid, it didn't have to come to this. He could have gotten treatment, he could have recovered. He had been so stubborn and afraid that he had ruined everything, he had done this to himself...

"There are some other concerns as well." Grisha said hesitantly and Levi looked at him with surprised curiosity.

"Are you aware that you miscarried last night?" Grisha asked solemnly. 

Levi was speechless as he stared at the Doctor, he felt like he was going to throw up as his stomach twisted painfully. He couldn't miscarry because he couldn't have a baby. They must have gotten the tests wrong, or maybe he had misheard the older man.

"I--I can't..." He began, a tear finally slipping down his cheek.

"Yes, I read your file. Your test results from three years ago did show that you were unable to have children however you were in fact pregnant. You didn't know?" Grisha asked gently, his professionalism slipping as he looked at the Omega with sadness. Levi shook his head as the fragments of his heart that were still intact shattered even more at the thought of the child he almost had.

"I'm really sorry Levi." Grisha said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"We noticed some scarring and... trauma during your examination." He said hesitantly, Levi looking into his pale green eyes with embarrassment. "The injuries you sustained are most commonly seen in cases of abuse or... rape." Grisha explained, his voice wavering slightly.

"No!" Levi shouted through his burning throat.

"Levi, I am a Doctor, you can tell me anything, I won't judge you or tell anyone without your permission. We also have an Omega doctor on staff if you'd rather speak to her." Grisha said gently.

Levi shook his head, "I wasn't raped." He whispered.

"Okay. Can you tell me what happened to you then? I know you spent your Heat with Eren, he didn't... hurt you. Did he?" Grisha asked, his professional Doctor demeanor completely fallen as he watched Levi's expression.

"It was my fault." Levi whimpered, his voice coming out rough and trembling. "I panicked and pulled myself off. He didn't do anything." He explained, finding it hard to breath in his excitement.

Grisha let out a deep breath and visibly relaxed. "That's good. Not great, there is still some damage but being an accident instead of someone trying to hurt you is certainly a relief." He said with a soft smile.

"Okay, that's enough questions for now. I want you to rest. Would you like me to call your family? Kenny? Your Aunt Kimi? I can explain your condition to them as well if you wish." Grisha said gently.

"Carla?" Levi croaked, heart clenching at the thought of her seeing him like this but he wanted her desperately.

Grisha nodded with a soft smile. "Yes, I can tell her. She'll probably have my head for not calling her already." He said. "I can let your Alpha friends know as well. They’ve been here all night but we're not allowed to tell them anything without your permission.

Levi nodded. "Tell them to call Mikasa. She'll call Kimi." He wheezed, fighting the tickle in his throat.

"Okay, you get some rest." Grisha said with a nod, getting up to check the machines once more and leaving the room.

Levi curled himself up into a ball; even with the cords of painkillers and medication his body still ached with every movement and strain. He ignored it as he held himself tight, tears beginning to flow freely as the thought about the information he had been given.

A miscarriage... Levi had had a baby inside of him. But he didn't take care of her, he didn't protect her, and now she was gone. Eren's baby was gone. Levi had killed her.

His chest ached as he thought about her. He didn't even know if the baby had been a girl, but he couldn't help but to picture a petite girl with large green eyes and smile to match. He couldn't help but to imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn't been so stupid, if he had taken care of himself, taken care of the baby. Maybe he and Eren would have worked things out, maybe they could have been together, raised a family together. He pictured Eren holding his hand in the delivery room, changing baby diapers, falling asleep on the couch with their baby asleep on his chest, breaking down and crying on her first day of school. 

He sobbed into his pillow, body trembling. Maybe the surgery wouldn't be so bad. Maybe forgetting Eren, forgetting the baby would be a good thing; if he couldn't remember them he could feel how much it hurt to lose them both.

He must have drifted off to sleep at some point because he knew nothing before he was being startled awake by a banging door and inconsolable sobbing. He looked up to see a burry blob of brown hair rushing towards him and collapsing on the bed beside him, arms thrown over him and shoulders shaking violently.

"Hange. Hange, I'm okay." Levi whispered, she looked up at him with red puffy eyes, tears streaming down her face.

"No, you're not! And it's all my fault!" She cried, taking his hand in hers and raising it to her lips as she watched him with devastated eyes. "You said you were okay, you said it was under control. I shouldn't have believed you. I should have dragged you here weeks ago!" She sobbed.

"It's not your fault." Levi said brokenly, seeing Hange in so much pain, so guilt ridden because he had been too stupid to listen to her in the first place, it made him sick. "Please don't..." He choked.

"Why didn't you tell me? I begged you to tell me if it was getting worse." She said, head falling back down to the bed.

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered. "So so sorr--" a cough took him by surprise as he turned over to help ease the fit out of his throat. Hange crawled up onto the bed and held him as his body shook, spitting out flowers into the cup of his mask before he could pull it off.

"I love you Levi, I love you so much. We all love you. I shouldn't have kept your secret. This is all my fault." Hange sobbed quietly, rubbing Levi's back as he calmed himself.

"It's not! It's not." Levi shook his head "I'm going to get the surgery." He whispered. Hange tensed for a moment before tightening her hold on him.

"Really?" She asked and he nodded into her chest. "Thank you, Levi. This is for the best, I know you'll forget him but it's better than you being in this pain. It's better than us losing you." She said softly.

"I lost his baby." Levi whispered brokenly, feeling Hange nod against his head. 

"I know. I'm so sorry Levi." She said, rocking him gently as fresh tears began to fall.

Hange didn't speak again, she just held Levi in her arms and rocked him gently. Erwin and Mike came back into the room not long later; sitting quietly beside the bed. Levi knew they had a million questions, but he was glad they weren't asking them. He was glad Grisha had told the, what was wrong with him so he wouldn't have to, his voice or his heart couldn't take explaining everything over and over again.

He listened as Hange explained what she had done, how she had kept everything to herself despite knowing better. It ended with Erwin on the bed beside them; holding the both of them in his arms as he sobbed quietly.

"It's not your fault Hange, any of us would have done it for him." He said, holding them tight. "I knew something was wrong, I should have paid more attention. I wish you had told me." He added, his lips moving against the top of Levi's head.

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered, he had been repeating it over and over but it didn't seem like it was enough; his friends didn't deserve the pain he was putting them through. He had kept it from them to avoid this, but like everything else he had fucked it up and made everything worse.

"It's going to be okay. You're going to get the surgery, you're going to get better, and we're going to be with you ever step of the way." Erwin said.

"All of us." Mike said from the chair beside the bed, taking Levi's tiny hand in his own.

"Thanks." Levi whispered. "I'm sorry for putting your through all that last night." He added bashfully.

"I'll admit, I was terrified, I thought you were dying. But I'm just glad you're going to be okay." Mike said with a soft smile. Levi nodded before closing his eyes slowly and relaxing into the arms of his best friends. 

How could he have ever thought keeping this from them was a good idea? They were his best friends and they loved him unconditionally. He didn't need Eren to love him when he had his best friends all along. 

He found himself falling asleep again; he assumed the drugs were what was causing him to barley keep his eyes open. Along with the comfort and soothing scents given off by his friends. He felt himself regaining consciousness as he was moved gently; laid back down against his pillow as the others slowly moved off the bed.

He opened his eyes slowly, looking up at Erwin who smiled and bent down; kissing Levi's forehead gently. "We'll be back soon." He said softly, giving his arm a small squeeze and following the others out of the room. Levi watched them go through hazy vision, before noticing the last person left in the room.

He felt his lip tremble and his eyes water as he looked into Carla's warm brown eyes as they glistened from across the room. She made her way over and sat down on the chair beside the bed silently; watching him as her own lip quivered.

"You said you'd tell me." She said quietly, the betrayal in her voice drawing more tears from Levi's eyes; he had been sure he had no more left to give.

"I was so worried, I knew you loved him and I was so afraid this was going to happen, I was watching you, but you're even better at hiding than your mother aren't you." She said, her voice cracking as she wiped away the tears on her own cheeks.

"I'm sorry." Levi whimpered.

"I should have known better, after your mother... I should have seen the signs no matter how well you hid them. I knew you loved him and I knew you were hurting. Not at first; I believed Eren when he told me you had moved on, you had grown up and only wanted to be friends. It hurt that you weren't going to be my son in law but as long as we had you back it didn't matter." She explained sadly, Levi shook his head

"I never stopped." He whispered. She nodded, more tears slipping.

"I know. I figured it out and I tried to tell Eren, but he didn’t believe me and he felt guilty over Mina. Short of slapping him there's only so much a Mother can do. Then the whole mess with Mina and the baby, then your Heat, and everything was just... I should have just slapped him." She said.

"Does he know?" Levi asked quietly.

"No." She shook her head. "I wanted to see you first." She said, smoothing his hair back off his forehead.

"He's going to hate me." Levi whimpered and Carla took his face in her hands.

"Eren would never hate you." She said.

"I lost his baby." He sobbed, tears pooling at the edges of his mask.

"I know." Carla nodded sadly. "He'll be upset when he finds out but I promise it won't be at you, he could never hate you or blame you for this. He loves you." She insisted; Levi could only sob at the words. 

"I'm going to forget him." He whimpered.

"That's okay, as long as you're alive we will deal with whatever we have to and you have nothing to feel guilty about." She said sternly. He nodded sadly, swallowing thickly, trying to ease his sore and achy throat. All this speaking and crying was wearing on him, making it harder to breathe.

"You need to rest. I was speaking to your Aunt Kimi, they're on their way now so why don't you get some sleep before they get here." Carla said.

"Will you stay with me?" He whispered.

"Of course." She nodded, threading her fingers through Levi's and petting down his hair as he drifted off to sleep once again.

The next time he opened his eyes Carla was gone and there was a commotion out in the hallway.

"What are you doing? This is a hospital and Levi is asleep in there!" Carla's hushed angry voice spat from the open doorway.

"He is not—you are  _not_ going in there! Levi is getting that surgery and you are not going to let him talk himself out of it!" Erwin's dangerous voice said from outside.

"Erwin, put my son down. Please." Carla demanded.

"I just want to see him!" Eren cried.

"Eren, now is not the best time. Why don't we go get some coffee, I'll explain everything. Eren. EREN!" Carla shouted as the Alpha must have pushed past them all into the room. His beautiful green eyes, one lined with a rapidly forming bruise, wide in horror as they moved from Levi to the wires and machines; tears streaming down his face.

"Levi I'm sorry!" Eren sobbed as Mike and Erwin both came in to pull the younger man out of the room, Carla giving Levi an apologetic look before swinging the door closed behind them, leaving him alone in the room. 

Alone with his thoughts, alone with Eren's face ingrained in his memory, alone with his imagination of how Eren was going to react to everything; the Hanahaki... the baby... 

This time he didn't go to sleep, he stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours as all the different scenarios ran through his mind; what was going to happen, what could happen, what could have happened... He thought of every one of his friends; Did they all know? Had the information travelled through them all yet? What did they think of him as he lay here in the hospital bed barely able to breathe on his own.

His thoughts were consuming him, twisting his stomach and making him sick, he was glad for the distraction as a knock on the door drew him away from himself. He looked up to find Mikasa, Kimi, and Shawn walking in with worried faces. 

Levi felt embarrassed for them to see him like this, but also so relieved to have his family with him as he gave them a small smile from behind his oxygen mask. Kimi's lip trembled as she moved closer to him, taking his hand in hers.

"How are you Levi?" Shawn asked, awkwardly; not one for emotional situations.

"I've been better." Levi croaked through his sore, unused voice.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick??" Mikasa demanded through hurt anger.

"Why didn't anyone tell us this was how your Mother died? I would have watched you! I would have paid attention to the signs!" Kimi cried softly.

"It's only been the few months" Levi whispered, hoping to calm her but to no avail.

"No it hasn't! I spoke to Dr. Jaegar, I saw the test results. This has to have been growing for years! I knew you were sad and you missed your friends but... I had no idea y--" She sobbed brokenly.

"You weren't supposed to." Levi whispered, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"Why do you have to do everything on your own? Why couldn't you tell me? I thought we were close." Mikasa said, fighting back tears.

"I didn't want to worry you." Levi insisted quietly.

"Well you didn't do a very good job" She sobbed and Levi reached for her hand weakly.

"The important thing is that you're going to get better. Dr. Yeagar said you're scheduled for surgery the day after tomorrow." Shawn said with a smile, Levi nodded, appreciating his Uncle's attempt at lightening the mood.

"And we're all going to be here when you get out." Kimi added with determination. "We all love you so much Levi, don’t forget that." 

"I-is Kenny coming?" Levi asked, barely above a whisper, afraid to know the answer. The look on Kimi's face told him everything he needed as her eyes fell to the floor.

"We told him what happened. I'm sure he was right behind us." Shawn assured. Levi just nodded in understanding. He and Kenny hadn't spoken in months, he didn't expect him to come see him now. It didn't stop it from hurting though...

Levi had visitors most of the day; they alternated in groups. When Kimi, Mikasa, and Shawn left, Carla would come in for a while, she'd leave when Erwin and Mike or Hange and Petra wanted to come back in. Even Sasha, Connie, Annie, Bertolt, and Armin had come to see him throughout the day. None of them staying long or demanding attention; they were just there to show Levi how much they cared for him as they sat quietly beside him as he dozed off.

Levi was in and out of consciousness all day; the hazy faces of his friends and family around him whenever he came to. They all looked so tired; so sad and exhausted. He insisted they leave, told them to go home and get some rest; not that they listened to him, at least not before he was given an extra shot of medication in his IV and his eyes began to close again.

He dreamed of Eren's eyes; Wide and horrified when he barged into Levi's room earlier that day, gentle and sparkling as they took one of their walks through the park, innocent and determined as the six year old child proclaimed Levi to be his mate.

Eren's eyes were beautiful. The most beautiful eyes Levi had ever seen and in less than two days he was going to forget them. He couldn't imagine what that would be like; not remembering the little boy who had befriended him and had stolen his heart, the barely teenager that guarded his door and wished he could protect him like a real Alpha, the man than held Levi in his arms and made him feel safe. To forget his hugs, his smile, his scent...

The warm, comforting scent that always made Levi feel better; no matter how lost he felt, how defeated or unwanted, Eren's scent made all that go away if only for a few moments.

He could almost smell it as he slowly woke from his dreams. The lights were off and there were only the dim outside lights coming in through the window. He must have been out for hours and it seemed like everyone had fortunately gone home to get some rest for the night. 

He looked around the room, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness before they fell on the dark figure leaning on his arms on the side of the bed. Levi almost thought it was Mike again before the blurry figure began to focus. He was smaller than Mike, hair darker, and scent distinctly Eren. 

Levi shifted slightly in the bed, grimacing at the pain that spiked through his body but turned toward the sleeping Alpha anyway. His shifting must have woken the other man since he snapped up instantly, eyes wide as they bore into Levi.

"You're awake." Eren said, Levi's eyes focusing on the deep purple bruise lining Eren's right eye, his hand reaching up to touch it gently.

"Oh, yeah. Erwin wasn't overly happy to see me this morning. Not that I could blame him." Eren said, face falling again. "I know I'm not supposed to be in here but everyone left for the night and I had to see you." He added.

"I wanted to see you." Levi whispered hoarsely.

"You did?" Eren asked, perking up at the words.

"I wanted to say goodbye." Levi said, willing himself not to cry.

"What? No, Levi you're not going anywhere. You're going to be fine." Eren said, choking on a small sob. 

"I won't remember you..." Levi whispered and Eren broke down; head falling onto the bed and shoulders shaking.

"Please, please don't tell me this is because of me." He cried. "I know it is, they all told me, but it can't. I can't..." He cried, voice muffled in the blankets.

"I'm sorry." Levi trembled. "It's not your fault."

"It is my fault! It's all my fault, because I love you!" Eren shouted, Levi's eyes widening at the confession. "I love you so much Levi, so much it hurts! I lied when I said I was over you, I only did it because I thought you were over me. I forgot how to read you." He sobbed, looking up at Levi whose eyes were pooling.

"I made such a mess. I never loved Mina and I knew for sure the second I saw you again but I was so stupid and everything went to hell." Eren said.

"The baby! I-it's not yours." Levi's voice rasped painfully, he had to tell Eren, the man had to know the truth.

"I know." Eren nodded sadly. "Thomas came to see me. He felt guilty and he was worried about you. I had no idea... I ran here as fast as I could." Eren began breaking down again, tears streaming down his face and shoulders shaking as he took Levi's hand in his and brought it to his lips.

"I was so scared." He whispered against the back of Levi's hand. "I thought I lost you."

"I'm sorry." Levi whimpered, Eren moving his hand to cup the side of Levi's face.

"It's my fault. I just can't bear the thought that I am going to lose you; you're not going to know who I am." Eren said quietly, looking into his eyes.

"I can't! I can't do it." Levi cried, pulling the mask off as his tears seeped through it, staring into Eren broken face.

"No! You have to!" Eren almost shouted. "I can deal with you forgetting about me as long as you're alive to do it. I promised your mom I'd take care of you and I didn't! You can't die Levi! Please!!" He cried, before a cough tore through him, catching him by surprise as he doubled over.

"I love you Levi." Eren said quietly, finally catching his breath, looking up from the hand that had been covering his mouth. 

Levi's eyes widened in horror as they focused on the small blue flower petals in Eren's hand, scrambling for the call button; unable to find it in the dark.

"Help!" He screamed as loud as his voice would let him, his throat bursting with fire, but he didn't care; he kept calling as Eren wrapped his arms around him to calm him before finally finding the call button and pressing it frantically; a fit of coughing overtaking him. 

"Levi?" Grisha shouted, running into the room. "Eren! What are you doing here?" He asked, rushing over to Levi and placing the mask back on his face.

"What's wrong Levi? Are you okay?" Grisha asked.

"It's… not... me." Levi gasped through heavy breaths, pointing to Eren. "H-he's sick! Ha... Hanahaki." He trembled, Grisha's head snapping up to his son.

"What?!" He demanded and Eren nodded sadly.

"We have to do some tests. Now!" Grisha demanded, his voice quivering emotionally.

"I can't leave Levi." Eren said, tightening his grip around the Omega.

"You have to. You have to get better." Levi whispered.

"How long have you been showing symptoms?" Grisha asked.

"Two weeks. That' all, let me stay with him." Eren pleaded while Grisha stared at him; obvious confliction on his face.

"The minute he goes in for surgery you will get a CAT Scan, I'll have someone come up here to draw some blood in the morning." He said sternly and Eren nodded, nuzzling into Levi's hair.

"I want the both of you to get some sleep." Grisha said, after a few more checks and questions. "Do you need another bed?" He asked, eyes trained on Levi. Levi shook his head lightly, curling closer into Eren. Grisha gave a nod and a small smile before leaving the room.

"Is it because of me?" Levi whispered as the two cuddled in the small hospital bed.

"There's no one in the world I could love as much as I love you." Eren whispered back, kissing the top of his head. "Doesn't mean you're to blame." He added.

"I love you! It's not unrequited!" Levi said with quiet urgency.

"I know that now, but you won't soon. I was so stupid, I made you sick and I made myself sick all for nothing. You loved me from the start." Eren said quietly.

"Since I was eight years old." Levi looked up into Eren's eyes. Eren cupped the side of Levi's face with his hand.

"Can you breathe without this? I really want to kiss you right now." Eren said fingering at the mask on the Omega's face. Levi nodded pulling it off before Eren gently tipping his chin up and pressing their lips together softly.

The kiss was sweet and gentle; everything Levi could have wanted, it was just too late, he was going to forget him in little more than 24 hours.

"I've loved you since the moment I met you." Eren whispered as they parted. "I was six years old when I claimed you as my Omega and I want you as much now as I did then." He said.

"You've always been my Alpha. There's never been another." Levi said as they cuddled back down into the bed, Levi's head on Eren's chest.

"You'll love me again. You might not remember me but I'll make you fall in love with me again. I promise." Eren said, running his fingers though his hair. Levi nodded as he held Eren tighter; nuzzling his head into the Alpha's chest, a few stray tears rolling down from his eyes as he drifted off to sleep.

When Levi woke up he was still in Eren's arms, the Alpha staring up at the ceiling until he noticed Levi stirring; looking down at him with a big smile, the morning light making his eyes shine beautifully. He looked like an angel and Levi wished with everything he had that he was waking up in Eren's arms under better circumstances.

"Did you sleep?" Levi asked.

"Nah, I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I can sleep later." Eren said with a shrug. "How are you feeling? Are you very sore?" He asked, his hand laid gently on Levi's flat stomach. 

Levi's eyes welled up again; Eren hadn't mentioned the baby the night before and Levi had hoped he didn't know about her. "I'm sorry." He whimpered, covering Eren's hand with his own. Eren's fingers laced with his as he looked deeply into his eyes.

"You did nothing wrong." He insisted.

"I lost our baby." Levi whined.

"I know and I'm so sorry that happened, but it wasn't your fault, please don't blame yourself." Eren said, kissing his forehead and holding him close.

Levi cried softly in Eren’s arms, “How are you so calm? Don’t you care?” he whimpered, his words harsh but his heart broken for what could have been. 

“Of course I care! Nothing would make me happier than to be with you and have a family together. I'm devastated that we lost this chance but don't think for one second that you’re the reason this happened." Eren insisted.

"But I am." Levi choked. "I failed you." He whispered and Eren pulled him close, pressing their lips together and kissing his deeply.

"You could never fail me." He breathed as they parted. "As long as you're alive and well there's nothing you could do to disappoint me."

"Not even forget you?" Levi asked, his voice barely audible.

"Not even that. I'm as much to blame for that as you are, probably more. But remember, you will love me again." Eren smiled, scratching at the short hairs on Levi's neck. Levi looked up at him, seeing the same determination and honesty as he had when they were children. He nodded with a small smile before tucking his head under Eren's chin and snuggling into his chest as Eren's fingers continued to run through his hair.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door and Zeke's head poking inside. "Hey, is this a good time?" He asked.

"Yeah, come in." Eren said, sitting up a little, but keeping his grip on Levi. Zeke walked in leading a pretty dark haired woman using crutches inside with him.

"Levi, how are you feeling?" He asked, laying a small teddy bear and get well balloon on the table beside the other gifts Levi had collected since the day before.

"I'm okay." Levi said quietly.

"Levi, this is Pieck, she had an appointment and we wanted to come see you. Dad told me everything, I'm so sorry for you both." Zeke said, putting his arm around her waist.

"We're going to be okay." Eren said, giving Levi a squeeze.

"It's nice to meet you Pieck, I'm glad you two worked things out." Levi smiled.

"We did, and it's thanks to you Levi." Pieck smiled.

"I couldn't let you pass each other by." Levi said bashfully.

"It seems you two have figured things out." Zeke said.

"A little too late." Levi looked up at Eren sadly.

"We're going to figure things out. I won't pass you by again." Eren kissed his forehead.

"Oh my." Pieck said, tears slipping down her cheeks, Zeke holding her close.

"We're going to go. I'm glad you two worked things out and if there's anything we can do please let us know." Zeke said, leaning down to kiss Levi's cheek and patting Eren on the shoulder before leading Pieck back out of the room; the dark haired Omega waving goodbye.

Eren didn't leave Levi's side for the rest of the day; he stayed curled up on the bed with him, holding him, soothing him, kissing him every chance he could, even staying during visits from all of their friends, despite some angry glares from a couple Alpha's.

Levi had practically dragged Eren to radiology; only by pulling his IV stand with him so he would follow reluctantly, but Levi needed to know if Eren was going to be okay, even if he wouldn’t remember in a few hours.

"You can't dwell on the fact that I won't remember you." Levi said as they lay on their sides facing each other on the bed. "You're in the early stages, you can get better easily if you let yourself."

"I know, but that won't be so easy since I almost know what it is to finally have you." Eren said sadly.

"How can you make me fall in love with you again if you're sick?" Levi demanded.

"Maybe you won't forget me, maybe our bond is strong enough that you'll remember me even after the surgery." Eren suggested hopefully.

"Eren..." Levi said, his heart clenching. That's what he wanted, more than anything, but he knew it would be too good to be true.

"What if it is? We fell in love in primary school and we never stopped, even after years apart and all the obstacles we've had. You got pregnant when the Doctors said you never would, maybe it was because it's me. Maybe we have a special bond; like one you read about in fairy tales or like years ago when there were fated mates and bond marks." Eren explained, his eyes sparkling with hope and excitement.

"Maybe." Levi smiled softly at the thought of being physically bonded to Eren for the rest of his life, the way they had done centuries ago.

"If this works... if you fall in love with me again... I'm going to spend the rest of my life making all this up to you. I'm going to love you and marry you, and bond mark you if you'll let me." Eren promised.

"Yes." Levi whispered, Eren's face breaking out into a beautiful smile, pulling Levi in for a soft yet passionate kiss.

They were startled out of their moment by a gruff clearing of someone's throat; both looking toward the door in surprise to kind Kenny standing against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Don’t you think it's a little late for things like this. He's going into surgery in the morning." The older Alpha said with a sour look on his face. 

Eren sat up, pulling Levi to him protectively as his scent flared up in anger.

"What are you doing here? This is your fault! If you hadn't kept us from each other!" Eren spat angrily, his lip trembling slightly.

"My fault? You're the one who gave him the goddamn run around! I knew you were trouble from the start, I did everything I could so this wouldn't happen to him and look what good it did me!" Kenny growled, Eren deflating slightly but keeping his glare.

"Stop!" Levi shouted painfully, his throat healing but still sore from the attack two nights ago. "I did this to myself." He whimpered, a small fit overtaking him.

"What do you want?" Eren growled at the Alpha, rubbing Levi's back as he began to calm down.

"I came to apologize." Kenny said sadly, his voice softer than Levi had ever heard it. The older man pulled the chair over closer to the bed and sat down as Levi watched him with surprise.

"I'm shit at this. You know I've always been shit. I was a shitty brother, a shitty uncle, and a shitty guardian; but you turned out really well despite all that, despite everything I did to you." Kenny said, his voice starting to shake as he took Levi's hand.

"W-why..." Levi choked, his vision blurring with the welling tears in his eyes.

"I don't know! I really don't. I thought I was doing you a favor, I thought I was taking care of you. I didn't realize I would fuck you up so bad. I thought by keeping that Alpha brat away from you that you wouldn't turn out like Kuchel. The way he looked at you, I knew you'd be fucked if you stayed there; he'd reel you in just like that bastard did to her then he'd leave you. I had no idea what I did would just make everything worse!" Kenny explained, eyes misty for the first time Levi had ever seen.

"I loved him! I loved him then and I loved him now!" Eren cried.

"I know kid. I'm really sorry." Kenny said, surprising Eren into silence. "But you still hurt him. He still ended up in this bed on the edge of death. You're as much to blame as I am! Dirty rotten Alpha's, all we do is fuck with the Omega's we love." Kenny said, his voice broken; looking up into Levi's eyes sadly.

"You know I had an Omega once; he was small like you and the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. He loved me, god knows why but he did. He was my everything, or at least he should have been, I loved him more than anything but I was involved with some bad shit at the time. Dangerous shit. Instead of getting out of it I pushed him away instead." Kenny explained.

"What happened?" Levi whispered, wiping away the wetness on his face.

"I left him, broke his heart and my own. Forced myself to stay away from him so he could move on, did what I thought was best for him. I stayed away so much I didn't even realize how his new Alpha was treating him. When we saw each other he was quiet and reserved; not my happy, sweet Uri. I thought it was just because it was me, that he didn't want me around. It was too late when his bastard of an Alpha threw him down the stairs, snapping his neck on the way down." Kenny spat bitterly.

"Kenny, I'm sorry." Levi whimpered.

"Then my baby sister got on the go with an Alpha who didn't give two fucks about her. He'd come around, have his way with her then fuck off back to his family. He knocked her up and still didn't care, and she loved him! She loved him until she got sick." Kenny sniffed as the tears finally fell from his eyes.

"I did the same thing to her that I did to you! When she wouldn't listen to what I said I pushed her away. I wasn't there to help her, I was just so mad that she refused to give him up after he had caused her so much pain. I didn't see her again until she was dying!" He cried looking up at Levi and putting a hand on his face.

"Now you. I tried so hard to avoid this. My beautiful boy, you look so much like your mother. You were the son I never had and I'm so sorry for what I said to you the last time we spoke. You're not an Omega Bitch, you're the farthest thing from it, I'm proud of what you've become and I'm sorry for everything." Kenny sobbed.

Levi had never seen Kenny cry; it was unsettling and ugly. The wrinkles around his grey eyes deepening, nose running, and spit gathering in the corners of his mouth. The fiercest Alpha Levi had ever known; broken and sobbing in front of him.

"I forgive you." Levi whispered, Kenny looking up at him in surprise. "I know a few things about doing what you think is best for other people." He added with a small joking smile.

"You're as stubborn as I am." Kenny smirked through his tears before turning to Eren. "You're not a bad kid. I'm sorry for what I did to you as well. Sucks that he's not going to remember you tomorrow." He said.

"I'm going to win him back." Eren said with determination, holding Levi close.

"I'm sure you will." Kenny said with a chuckle, wiping his face. "Fuck, look at me; sniveling like a little girl." He said harshly, Levi laughing and wiping his own face, surprised he had anymore tears to cry. 

Kenny stayed for a while longer, joined by Kimi and Carla; who as Levi expected, got along very well. They kept the conversations pleasant, though Levi knew everyone was on edge, waiting for tomorrow. The last thing Levi remembered was Carla telling Kimi some cute story of Eren and Levi as children before he slowly drifted off to sleep.

"No!" He cried when he was woken up by a nurse the next morning and realized he had slept his time with Eren away. "I wasted our last hours together." He said, ignoring the nurse who was trying to prep him for surgery. 

Eren smiled, smoothing Levi's hair out of his face. "You needed sleep. Surgery won't go as well if you're not properly rested." He said sadly.

"I don't want to do it." Levi whimpered, burying his face in Eren's chest.

"It's going to be fine." Eren insisted, also ignoring the nurse as she ushered him to get up, instead pressing his lips against Levi's one last time.

"I don't want to forget you." Levi whined as the Alpha parted and moved to get up and the nurse unlocked the wheels and began pushing the bed out of the room.

Eren chasing after him down the hall, passing by everyone as they saw him off; Carla, Grisha, Kimi, Shawn, Kenny, Mikasa, Hange, Petra, Mike, Erwin. They were all there with sad but hopeful looks on their faces, wishing him good luck, telling him they'd be there when he woke up. 

Eren followed until Levi was brought into a secure area Eren was not allowed to cross. He stood at the open doors with tears streaming down his face.

"I'll make you fall in love with me all over again. I promise!" He yelled as the automatic doors let go and slowly closed in front of him. 

He was taken into a brightly lit room, with doctors and nurses in full scrubs all around him.

"Alright Levi, I want you to count backwards from ten." The doctor he had met briefly the day before, though he couldn't remember his name, told him gently as a mask was placed over his face.

Levi nodded nervously and took a deep breath.

"Ten... Nine... Ei..eight.......Sev......."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I can't not do weekly updates.  
> I don't want to disappoint you guys so I pressure myself (I do this with a lot of things, it's kind of stressful)  
> I think I may take a break from writing when I'm finished with this story. Or at least anything super intense like this one.  
> Still got a few chapters left so it wont be for a while yet,
> 
> But you never know when inspiration will strike so feel free to give me suggestions or requests on tumblr (or just yell at me about this one I don't care lol)
> 
>  
> 
> [Soapy0-0](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/soapy0-0)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you liked it!  
> Please tell me what you think!  
> <3


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! I didn't think I was going to make it before the weekend ended.
> 
> It's been a busy week! (Also I am soooo hungover)  
> Like not really, but I don't drink much or often and I drank a lot last night (More than I meant to oops!) and I feel like crap. But hey it's Halloween! it's the only time of year that I will go to a party. I love Halloween! costumes, decorations, etc  
> (Even when I had to draw my husbands mask because it didn't come in on time, so that's where my Friday night went, otherwise you probably would have had this yesterday afternoon.)
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway! Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate you guys being okay with late updates (If they happen) I do my best for weekly updates but sometimes things get busy. You know how it is :)
> 
> Please enjoy!

 

Levi opened his eyes slowly, taking in the bright room around him; the white walls, the florescent lights, the sun shining in through the large window, and the incessant beeping of the machines beside his bed 

Why was he in the of the hospital? 

His mind was hazy and muddled as he tried to put the pieces of the last few days together. He had collapsed... what had been wrong with him? Why couldn't he remember? He groaned lightly as his thoughts made his head hurt. 

 

He tried to sit up; pain ripping though his chest, why did his chest hurt so much? He ran his fingers over the front of his hospital gown, feeling the bandages underneath. He could hear the heart rate monitor speeding up as he began to panic; looking inside his gown to see the fresh blood seeping through the middle of the large white bandage that covered most of his upper chest. What happened to him? Why did he have surgery? Why couldn't he remember? 

"Hey, hey, shhhh. It's okay." A deep voice startled him as a soothing Alpha scent surrounded him and arms wrapped themselves around him. 

He tried to calm himself, allowing the Alpha's scent to wash over him as he breathed in slowly, the pain in his lungs subsiding slightly. He looked up and was captured by an ocean; the most beautiful shade of green... or was it blue? Either way it was like nothing he had ever seen before and it took him a moment to realize it belonged to a pair of eyes that were watching him intently, filled with mixed emotions that Levi couldn't read. 

"There now. You're okay." The stranger said with a soft smile as Levi's heart monitor slowed to a more reasonable pace. 

"T-thanks." Levi whispered, watching the handsome stranger until a doctor rushed in through the door. 

"Everything okay?" The man asked, his green eyes wide as he checked on the heart monitor. He was familiar... very familiar, but Levi couldn't find him in his hazy memories. 

"He just woke up. I think his stitches are bleeding." The stranger said, the doctor taking a step toward the Omega. 

"How are you feeling Levi?" He asked, shining a small light into his eyes. 

"I... I'm not sure... confused." Levi stammered. 

"May I?" The doctor asked, tugging lightly at the wide neck of Levi's gown. Levi nodded shyly and allowed the doctor to take a look at the bandages. 

"Looks like you pulled your stitches. Nothing serious, I’ll have someone check them and give you a clean bandage." He said with a smile and sitting down on the edge of the bed.  

"I have great news Levi; the surgery was a success. I think we got everything. We'll run some tests tomorrow to make sure but every I think everything went perfectly." He said happily. 

"I... um... what did I have surgery for?" Levi asked quietly, eyes moving between the Doctor and the stranger; they gave each other a look before the Doctor turned back to Levi; shifting on the bed to make himself more comfortable. 

"What do you remember Levi?" He asked gently. 

Levi tried to think for a moment but everything was in a jumble; trying to sort it out only gave him a headache. "I... I don't know... My head hurts... I can't remember why I'm here." He said, voice trembling. 

"Don’t worry Levi, it's normal. Do you remember who I am?" The doctor asked and Levi shook his head. "Eren, would you give us a minute please?" He asked, looking over at the stranger. 

The man looked at Levi, his eyes looked glassy but he smiled at the Omega softly and nodded before standing up and walking out of the room.  

"My name is Dr. Jaegar, you were admitted to the hospital a few nights ago with a severe case of Hanahaki Disease; probably the most severe case we've had in this hospital. You went in for surgery about 12 hours ago and it seemed to be very successful." Dr. Jargar explained, Levi staring at him with wide eyes. 

"Hanahaki? My mom..." He trailed off, feeling a lump in his throat as memories of his mother came back broken and blurry. "She had that... I think."  

"She did. Are you having trouble remembering her?" Dr. Jaegar asked. 

"No... yes? I'm not sure. I remember her when I was little, but her being sick is in pieces. Why can't I remember her?" Levi panicked, the monitor speeding up once again. 

"You just woke up from surgery, it's normal to be a bit fuzzy. Give yourself a few days, even a few weeks to even out." Dr. Jaegar said, putting a hand on Levi's shoulder to help calm him down. Levi nodded, not meeting his eyes. 

"I want you to get some rest. I'll let your family know you're awake and they can come in a little bit later." Dr. Jaegar said before getting up and leaving Levi alone in the room.  

Alone with his muddled thoughts. Hanahaki... how could he have Hanahaki and not even remember? How could he forget half his life because of it? He felt himself spiraling as so many questions ran through his mind, only drawn away from them as he heard a knock on the door, looking up to see the Alpha from earlier. 

"Hey. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." He said, coming in cautiously. 

"I think so?" Levi said, grimacing as he tried sitting up again, the Alpha rushing over to help him get up slowly. 

"Um. Thanks for calming me down earlier." He said shyly. 

"No problem. I'm Eren by the way." The Alpha smiled down at him.  

"N-nice to meet you." Levi said as Eren's smile faltered slightly and his eyes filled with sadness. "Or should I know you..." he asked quietly. 

"No no, it's okay. Take your time, I'm sure it'll all come back to you." Eren said softly. Levi nodded with a pained smile as Eren sat down on the edge of the bed. 

"Thanks... so.. Why are you in here? Are you allowed?" Levi asked shyly. 

"I was getting some tests and treatment and I wanted to see how you were." Eren smiled. "Plus my dad runs the hospital and they let me do whatever I want as long as it doesn't bother anyone." He laughed. Levi gave him a weak smile in return, eyes focused on Eren's beautiful face; his tan skin, perfect white teeth, big eyes. How did he not remember someone so beautiful? 

"You probably should lay down and get some rest for a while." Eren said, his scent swirling around Levi, relaxing and calming him. He nodded as he slowly lay back down with Eren's help. "I can sneak Erwin in if you want." He said. 

"Yeah... yeah. Please." Levi said, taking only a fuzzy moment to place the name to the face. Eren nodded before standing up. 

"Okay. I'll see you later. Get better Levi, okay?" He said with a sad smile before leaning down and kissing the top of Levi's head. Levi felt himself blush as he nodded to Eren; watching the Alpha leave the room. 

 

He stared at the ceiling, trying to calmly take in everything that had just been thrown at him in the last few minutes; he had Hanahaki, he had surgery, he couldn't remember pieces of his life. But he did remember Erwin, maybe not instantly, but he had. Maybe it was just the surgery, maybe everything would come back to him.  

He looked up when he heard a knock on the door, relief washing over him as the blonde Alpha poked his head in, a smile stretching over his face as their eyes met. 

"How are you feeling?" Erwin asked, moving over to sit in the empty chair beside the bed, taking Levi's hand in his. 

"I'm okay. I think." Levi said. 

"Good. We've all be so worried for days. I'm so glad everything went well." Erwin said, still smiling at the Omega. 

"You haven't slept." Levi pointed out, noticing the dark circles underneath the older man's eyes. 

"I'll sleep tonight, now that I know you're okay." Erwin dismissed, Levi just nodded, feeling terrible for putting everyone out. 

"Can you tell me what happened?" Levi asked quietly. "I don't remember anything from the last few days." 

"You and Mike went out for dinner. You started coughing and bleeding, you scared the fuck out of him." Erwin said with a chuckle.  

"How long did I have Hanahaki?" Levi asked. 

"No one knew anything about it until the other night. Except for Hange who you apparently made promise wouldn't tell anyone. You even hid how bad it was from her. The doctors say it was growing for years, even though you didn't lose any petals until a few months ago." Erwin explained. 

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered, looking away from the Alpha. 

"It's over now, you don't have to apologize. Just don't hide something like this from us again. Please. There are so many people who love you, they've all been here and worried sick about you." Erwin said. 

"Okay." Levi said, feeling his eyes welling up at the pain he had caused everyone. 

 

Levi lay back on his pillow, listening to Erwin tell him about everything that had happened the last few days as well as bringing him up to speed on the last few weeks; Levi found himself remembering many of the things Erwin had been taking about but only after he had reminded him of them.  

Erwin stayed while Levi's bandage was changed and held his hand while the Omega finally dozed off to sleep 

When he woke up again there were two blondes in the room, he stared at the shaggy one for a moment until his eyes focused. "M-mike?" He asked, making the large Alpha smile. 

"Yeah, it's me. How are you doing?" He asked, memories of him coming back. 

"Better than last time I woke up." Levi said with a small smirk. 

"I bet! Sorry I can't stay long, I promised Kimi that she could come in as soon asKi you woke up. Erwin's been hogging you apparently." Mike said, nudging his fiancé, who chuckled. 

"I have no remorse. We'll come back later Levi." Erwin said, standing up and stretching out his back. 

"See me tomorrow. Go home and get some sleep." Levi demanded. 

"Yeah, okay. Call if you need anything. Even just to talk if you need to." Erwin said, leaning down to kiss Levi's head, Mike doing the same. 

"I will." Levi said as the two left, a tiny dark haired Omega rushing past them. 

"I'm family! I'm supposed to be first!" Kimi demanded, making Levi laugh and try not to wince in pain as the movement stretched his freshly cleaned stitches. 

"It's good to see you Aunt Kimi." He smiled. 

"And me too I hope." Kenny said, leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. 

"Kenny!" Levi said in surprise, thoughts of the older man coming to his mind; they hadn't seen each other in a while. They hadn't been speaking to each other... why was that again? 

"Well don't hurt yourself kid. They said you're having a hard time remembering things. We had a falling out, I said some things I didn't mean and was too stubborn to apologize until you were half dead. I won't make that mistake again." Kenny said gruffly, though his eyes betrayed him. 

"I'm glad you're here." Levi smiled at his Uncle. 

"So they think they got all the vines!" Kimi said happily "They said you should make a full recovery without any complications." She added. 

"They probably did if you're memory is as bad as it is. When Kuchel got it they missed a bunch of roots and she remembered everything. You got some good doctors here. Specialists and shit." Kenny said, leaning back in his chair. 

"Good... how did I get such good doctors? And a private room? I didn't think my insurance covered private rooms... you didn't..." Levi looked at his family with dread. 

"No no, we didn't pay for anything." Kimi waved him off. 

"It pays to have friends in high places. Dr. Jaegar made sure you had the best." Kenny said. 

"He's a friend of yours?" Levi asked. 

"No. Levi, he's a friend of yours." Kimi said, her voice surprised and confused. 

"Me?" Levi asked in disbelief, he knew the Doctor was familiar but he didn't think they were friends. 

"Yes, you lived in their basement apartment for years before you came to live with us." Kimi explained.  

 

Levi closed his eyes, trying to organize his memories. He did remember an apartment, a small apartment just for him and his mom. He kind of remembered faces; maybe the doctors face, but more so a woman with long dark hair and brown eyes. She was special to him he could tell... he just couldn't remember who she was. 

 

He chatted with Kimi and Kenny for a while, or more he and Kenny listened to Kimi chatting. Catching him up on what was happening at home, the general gossip; new people, old people, who was doing what, who was doing who. Levi was genuinely enjoying their company but there were others that wanted to see him too before visiting hours were over. 

Mikasa and Petra came in next, followed by Bertolt and a small blonde girl. His mind was clearing and he was able to remember who they were without too much though. 

"Hange said she's coming in last so she can get the most time with you." Petra laughed as they all sat down.  

"She'll probably stay all night." Levi chuckled, though he couldn't bring himself to mind as they started talking with him. 

He found himself staring at the blonde girl. She looked familiar; her stoic expression and quiet demeanor much like his own. What did they say her name was? Annie? 

"Did we go to school together?" He asked, not meaning to interrupt Petra's story, all eyes moving to Annie. 

"Yeah, we did." Annie said simply, though her eyes looked almost hurt. 

"Don't you remember Annie? You were good friends before you lived with Kenny." Mikasa said and Levi felt his heart drop. He had been doing so well. Since Erwin had come in his memories had been getting clearer, but here he was; offending an old friend of his by not remembering her. 

"I'm sorry." He said quietly but she surprised him with a smile. 

"Don't worry about it, just get better so we can become friends again." She said. 

"Okay." He nodded with a thankful smile. 

 

"Guys, there's not much time left!" Someone called from the doorway. 

"Sorry Levi, they're only allowing visiting hours until 10." Bert said. 

"But I'm family, so I'll probably be back." Mikasa said sternly. 

"I'm sure they'd be too terrified to stop you." Levi laughed quietly at his cousin, who smiled and gave his hand a squeeze before following the others out of the room. 

 

"Hey man! Damn you had us scared there for a minute." Connie shouted like the ball of energy he was.  

"Sorry there's a lot of us but there's not much time left and Hange still needs to come in." A blonde Beta said, walking beside a group of people Levi didn't recognize. Two more blonde; a large man and a tiny girl, and a tall skinny brown haired girl with freckles. 

"N-no, it's okay." Levi said anxiously, looking at Connie since he was the only one he remembered. 

"Levi, what's wrong?" The tiny Omega girl asked, noticing the quickening heart monitor. 

"Nothing. I'm fine." He said 

"They said your memory was bad, do you remember us?" The large Alpha asked and Levi just shook his head. He thought it was bad he didn't remember Annie but now with so many people in front of him who obviously knew who he was, he felt like a failure for not knowing them. 

"I know Connie." Levi whispered bashfully. 

"That's okay. I'm Krista." The Omega said, taking his hand in hers with a smile. "This is my girlfriend Ymir, that's Connie's boyfriend Reiner, and this is Armin." She continued, going around the room. 

"We're old friends. From before you moved and the last couple months since we met again." Armin explained. 

"Like Annie?" Levi asked. 

"Yes, Annie is a close friend of ours too." Armin smiled. 

"I didn't remember her either. There's a lot I don't remember from then." Levi said quietly. 

"You know what? That's fine. You just need to worry about getting better then we can figure out how to make you remember us." Ymir said with a smile. 

"As long as you know the story of the time you punched me in the face and completely knocked me on my ass." Reiner laughed. 

"That didn't happen." Levi said with wide eyes. 

"It sure did!" Reiner grinned. 

"Granted you were both eight but he was still twice as big as you." Armin laughed. 

"I love this story!" Connie grinned, bouncing on his feet. 

"Why did I punch you?" Levi asked, he couldn't help but to smile. 

"I was picking on you and E—some kid tried to stand up for you. Reiner here knocked him over and you were pissed! So you knocked him off his feet, we all got suspended for the day and we were best friends ever since." Ymir explained with a smirk. 

"That's ridiculous." Levi laughed. "Who were you picking on?" He asked with a smile. 

"Oh just some kid in kindergarten." Reiner said, his smile falling slightly. Levi looked at him confused, then around at the others; they all had pained looks on their faces, as though they were all thinking the same thing but dared not to say it. 

"It was him, wasn't it." He stated sadly. 

"It doesn't matter." Armin said, putting a hand on Levi's arm and looking into Levi's eyes with a sweet smile. 

"It goes back to when I was eight?" Levi asked quietly. 

"Not the disease, but the person yeah. You two had a very complicated relationship." Armin explained gently. 

"Complicated is an understatement!" Connie laughed loudly, obviously trying to lightening the mood. "You're like engaged as kids, don't see each other for years, then he has a girlfriend, you're best friends and all of a sudden you have Hanahaki and you're preg---oof!" He continued light heartedly until Krista gave him a hard elbow to the stomach. 

"What?" Levi's eyes widened, looking to Armin for answers; the beta's face red with embarrassment or anger, he wasn't sure, but his eyes filled with sympathy. 

"Nothing. It's not important." Armin said softly.  

"I'm what?" Levi asked again, his voice dangerous and his eyes filling with angry tears as he stared at Armin's conflicted face. "Pregnant?" He whispered, hand moving to his flat stomach. 

"I'm sorry Levi." Armin's eyes turned glassy. "You were." he said quietly. 

Levi felt himself start to panic, his heart racing and his body heating up. How could he have been pregnant? They told him he couldn't get pregnant. He hadn't never even been with anyone... how could he forget something like that? How could he have been so intimate with the person who he had lost all memory of when that person hadn't returned his feelings?  

What happened to the baby? Did he lose it? How could he completely forget about his own child? 

 

Levi barely registered what was going on around him; he barely saw the worried and panicked faces of his unfamiliar friends and didn't even notice as they were ushered out of the room, or the arms wrapping themselves around him until he was surrounded by a soothing Alpha scent. 

He hadn't realized he had been longing for the scent until he felt someone nuzzling into his hair. 

"E-eren?" Levi whispered. 

"Shhhh." Eren said quietly as Levi tried to relax into the Alpha's arms. "You're okay." He soothed. 

"Everything is so messed up. I can't remember anything. Or anyone. What happened to me? What did he do to me?" Levi couldn't help but to sob, clutching at the Alpha's chest; he didn't know who this man was but he knew he felt safe with him, comforted by him, even when everything around him felt like it was falling apart. 

"It's going to be okay." Eren voice came out strained and choked as he rocked the Omega in his arms. 

"May I?" A woman's voice asked gently, Levi looked up to find the brown haired woman he had caught a glimpse of earlier in his thoughts. Her big light brown eyes looking at him with kindness and caring. Eren nodded, loosening his grip on Levi and moving to stand up before walking toward the door with his head down. 

  

Levi watched the woman as she sat down on the edge of the bed, facing him with a warm smile. It took him a moment but he realized that she looked exactly like Eren... she was older and feminine, and her hair was darker and her eyes a different color but otherwise they looked nearly identical. 

"Y-you look like him." He said quietly. 

"Eren? Yeah I get that a lot." She smiled. 

"You're his mother?" Levi asked and she nodded. 

"I am. Do you remember who I am?" She asked. 

"I thought of your face earlier." Levi whispered. 

"That's good enough for now. I'm Carla. Your mom and I were very good friends." She said gently, Levi's eyes welling up once more at the thought of his mother. Carla moved closer and pulled him into her arms. 

 

"I don’t even know what happened." Levi whimpered. 

"I think it's best you don't know everything. At least for now." Carla said, petting his hair down as she held him close. 

"What happened to my baby? How did I even..." He sobbed. 

"Your Heat came back suddenly. You weren't thinking clearly and neither was he. You didn't know about the baby until you lost it." She explained gently. 

"How could he share a heat with me if he didn't love me?" Levi asked. 

"Things are complicated." She said, Levi could smell Eren's scent surrounding him, maybe lingering from when he had been here a few minutes ago; it still calmed him but it was also laced with distress and sadness. 

Carla stayed with him for a few moments, rocking him gently until he calmed down and began to doze. "I have to go okay?" She whispered in his ear before laying him down on his pillow. "I'll be back later. I have to take care of something." He gave a sleepy nod as he watched her leave, hearing a broken sob just before the door closed behind her. 

 

He had fallen asleep with his mind swimming; images he didn't remember and couldn't understand floating through his dreams. When he opened his eyes he found himself wrapped up in someone's arms; looking up he found a sleeping Hange.  

His stirring must have woken her because it was barely a moment before her eyes opened slowly. 

"Levi! You're awake!" She exclaimed in hushed excitement. 

"How did you get in here? I thought visiting hours were over." Levi whispered. 

"Eren snuck me in." She said, holding out her arms so Levi could cuddle into her properly. 

"Good." Levi said, closing his eyes again. 

"You get some sleep, I'm not going anywhere." Hange said, kissing his head as he drifted back to sleep.  

 

 

Levi stayed in the hospital for four days after his surgery, until the doctors finished their tests and decided him well enough to be released. They had gotten everything in the surgery, he was clear of his Hanahaki and would need no further treatment other than a round of medication for a few weeks. 

He was glad to be going home, away from the bright lights, attentive staff, and the less than appetizing hospital food. 

He hadn't realized that going home would be almost worse; the food was a lot better, especially with Kimi around all the time, but that was just it, she was around all the time, as was Erwin, Mike, Hange, Petra, Mikasa, and even Kenny was there a surprising amount. 

He loved them all and appreciated all of their help and caring but all the overbearing attention was stressing him out. They wouldn't let him do anything, or go anywhere on his own, he was lucky they let him lock the bathroom door. 

 

"Hey Erwin, what happened with that house you put the offer in for?" Levi asked one evening as he was watching tv, Erwin working on his laptop at the table nearby. Kimi had gone back to Mikasa's for the night and Mike was at the gym, it was a rare evening when things were peaceful and he had only one babysitter. 

"Oh, yeah that. They accepted our offer but we haven't really done anything about it, told them we had a family emergency." Erwin said, looking up from the laptop. 

"What? That was over two weeks ago! That house was perfect! Don’t miss out on it because of me." Levi demanded. 

"It's nice to see your memory is coming back." Erwin smiled as he moved over to sit beside Levi on the couch. "You are more important to us than a hundred perfect houses." He said putting his arm around the smaller man. 

"But that house. That backyard. It's perfect for you guys and your baby when you get one." Levi insisted, trying not to let the thought of his lost baby swirl through his mind. His child running around that large backyard along with Erwin and Mike's. 

"Will you move in with us?" Erwin asked. 

"I'm not a child." Levi glared. 

"I know, but I don’t think I can handle moving out without you. Especially not now." Erwin said almost bashfully. 

"I'll be fine." Levi said, knocking the Alpha's chest with his shoulder. "Besides, how nice will it be after your Wedding when you can go to your brand new home." He said. 

"Oh, yeah about that... we decided to postpone the Wedding for a little while." Erwin said making Levi sit up to look him in the eye. 

"What? Why?" He demanded. 

"It's just not a good time. We figured in a few months when you're feeling better and things are back to normal." Erwin explained. 

"No!" He shouted, shaking his head.  

"Levi." Erwin began. 

"No!" Levi shouted again. "You are not changing the wedding because of me!" He said, refusing to let the tears fall from his eyes. He couldn't remember having Hanahaki Disease but he was sure this type of thing was why he had kept it from everyone. 

"It’s not a big deal. Mike and I agreed." Erwin said gently. 

"Please." Levi said, staring into Erwin's eyes until the older man nodded. 

"Okay. We won't postpone." The Alpha said quietly. 

"And you'll call about the house." Levi said sternly. 

"Alright, I'll call first thing in the morning." Erwin said with a soft smile. 

"Good." Levi said, leaning back into Erwin's chest, Erwin's arm tightening around him as they relaxed and watched tv, Levi trying not to think about how much he had hurt everyone around him by keeping things from them. How hugs lingered a little longer than normal or that Erwin's grip was always a little tighter than necessary lately, as though they had been so close to losing him they were afraid it would happen again. 

 

"Hello Levi, alone today?" Dr. Jaegar asked as Levi was led into the examination room. 

"Hange's parking the car." Levi shook his head. 

"Ahh I see. I bet it's hard to get any alone time lately huh?" He said looking over some paperwork on his clipboard 

"Yeah, but it's my own fault." Levi said quietly as the Alpha doctor began to check him over. 

"Well everything looks great, you're recovering very well. I'm sure they'll calm down soon." He said with a smile. "These are ready to come out, would you lay down on the table?" He asked. Levi nodded and moved to lay down. 

"I thought you ran the hospital. Why are you taking out my stitches?" Levi asked as Dr. Jaegar was hard at work. The older man chuckled. 

"You're right, I don't usually do this work anymore, but I have a special interest in your case so I volunteered." He smiled. 

"Right. I keep forgetting that you used to be my landlord." Levi said shyly. 

"Carla and I considered you more like family than tenants." He said. "How's your memory coming? Is there any improvement?" He asked. 

"A little. I remember most of the last ten years but before that is still jumbled and this past year is in pieces." Levi explained. 

"This past year while your Hanahaki was in full swing, you may never get back. The old memories probably just need some extra time." Dr. Jaegar explained. 

"That makes sense." Levi said quietly. 

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Dr. Jaegar smiled brightly. "Also, if you're feeling better we'd love to have you over for dinner sometime. Carla's really missed your Wednesday late lunches."   

"Wednesday?" Levi asked, trying to grab the memory the floated just out of reach. The doctor shook him off to dismiss the lost memory. 

"Not important. I'll tell her to give you a call?" He asked. 

"Yeah. That would be nice." Levi said with a small smile as he pulled his shirt back on. 

"Great. We'll need to see you again in 3 months for a follow up. I'll have someone call you with an appointment." He said, pulling off his gloves and tossing them into the garbage bin. 

 

"Hey, sorry I couldn't get a spot." Hange said when Levi climbed into the car outside of the hospital. 

"It's fine. I can do things for myself." Levi said with a small smirk. 

"I know I know." Hange laughed as she pulled out. 

Levi stared out the car window quietly as they drove; Hange going on with something or other that he wasn't quite paying attention to. He was thinking about his lost memories; the ones he'd never get back even if he got any, he felt incomplete, like there was something important he needed to know. 

 

"Hange I appreciate you coming with me but I can walk to the apartment by myself." Levi said, his voice labored as they climbed the stairs to his floor. 

"Yeah so you can pass out halfway up." Hange rolled her eyes. 

"I'm fine." Levi growled, he was getting better at climbing the stairs but he still couldn't do it without breaking a sweat. Breathing was a little more difficult after lung surgery. 

Hange only laughed and helped him up the last few steps before heading down the hall and knocking on the apartment door. 

"I live here." Levi glared, trying to calm him breathing as she opened the door. 

"Welcome home Levi!!" Everyone shouted as he walked in, eyes wide in surprise. 

"I know you've been home for a couple weeks now but we wanted to wait until you were feeling better. Is this okay?" Hange asked from behind him, Levi looked out at the smiling faces of his friends; some he knew, others he only remembered from visiting in the hospital, but they all looked truly happy to see him. He nodded, feeling his eyes fill up slightly as he smiled at the crowd, moving towards them. 

 

He was hugged by everyone; he wasn't normally comfortable with so much contact unless it was with the few people he was extremely close to but he couldn't bring himself to mind as everyone squeezed him tightly, professing how happy they were to see him, despite having visiting him two weeks before in the hospital. 

 

"Sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to bring up anything. You know how I am." Connie said quietly when he finally got Levi's attention. 

"Don’t worry about it." Levi shook his head. "I was having a rough day, I probably over reacted a little." He said with a smile. Connie nodded, looking relieved. 

"Okay. I'm glad you're okay though, who would I look up to if you weren't around." He grinned. 

"You might need a new Hero." Levi said with a forced chuckle. 

"I don’t see why. If there's ever someone to look up to you’d be it. Even if you have to look down to see you." The large blonde Alpha beside Connie laughed. 

"Reiner, right?" Levi asked with a small blush. 

"Yeah!" Reiner grinned. 

"Sorry, I'm still sorting things out." Levi said. 

"You're doing great! And if you don't remember being my friend then we’ll just have to start fresh." Reiner said. 

"Thanks." Levi said with smile.  

 

"Hey Levi! Really miss you at work." Jean said grabbing Levi's attention as he was going to get a drink from the kitchen. 

"Oh, yeah the doctors said I have to be off for six weeks, sorry." Levi said looking up at the Alpha, eying the Omega beside him unable to place him. 

"No! I mean I miss having you around. Take as much time as you need to get better." Jean said awkwardly. 

"Sorry, he's bad at emotions." The brunette laughed. "You probably don't remember me, we only met once, I'm Marco." He said holding out a hand. 

"Hey." Levi smiled "It's nice to meet someone that I'm not supposed to remember... not that I should remember you! It’s just that I've apparently known everyone else so long and I can't..." Levi panicked but Marco just smiled warmly. 

"I understand. If you ever want to talk to someone who doesn't know the things you don't remember about yourself I'm always around." He said. 

"Thanks." Levi said, filling up his glass of water and heading back out into the party.  

He was the center of attention and therefore required to mingle; this definitely wasn't his idea for a party, he was starting to feel overwhelmed by everyone grabbing for his attention; he was sure he had spoken to everyone at the party, he deserved a little break.  

He tried to head to his bedroom but it was blocked by Mikasa and Sasha talking with Annie and Christa. He couldn't let Mikasa know he was feeling weird, she'd go in protective mode and stick to him like glue for the rest of the night, so he veered off towards the fire escape; a bit of fresh air would do him good. 

 

"Eren!" Levi said in surprise as he climbed through the window to find Eren leaning on the rail beside the blonde Beta Levi had met in the hospital. 

"You know each other?" The blonde asked with surprise in his voice. 

"We met in the hospital. Arwin...?" Levi asked hopefully. 

"Close! Armin." The blonde smiled sweetly. 

"Sorry." Levi said feeling his face heat slightly, he hated how hard it was to remember everyone. 

"You're doing great!" Eren smiled. 

"It doesn't feel that way." Levi said quietly. "Especially when there's a room full of people in there that I'm supposed to know but can barely remember their names."  

"I have a theory about that actually." Armin said, Levi looking up at him with surprised curiosity. "You remember everyone you met after you moved in with Kenny right?"  

"Yeah." Levi nodded. 

"But the rest of us, your friends from before that you don't." Armin stated. 

"Most of you are familiar, like I know I've met you before but everything is so hazy." Levi explained, glancing over to Eren sadly; Eren had a familiarity to him but it was different. He couldn't find anything of him, not an introduction, a conversation, not even a passing face in a crowded school hallway, but there was something about the Alpha that still felt familiar. Maybe it was just the ease he felt around the other man, or the way his beautiful eyes focused on him so intensely. 

"My theory is that you can't remember us because of him. We were all close friends with the both of you and where the two of you had such a strong relationship with each other and you met most of us through him, when you lost your memories of him you lost most of the memories of us." Armin explained. 

"That makes sense." Levi nodded sadly. The information kind of made him feel better but at the same time he was still forgetting them; forgetting his life all because of someone who hadn't loved him. 

"Sorry, maybe I should have kept it to myself..." Armin said, eyes filled with concern as he watched Levi's face fall. 

"No, no. It's a good theory. Thank you for sharing it with me, I can try to stop beating myself up over forgetting all of you now I guess." Levi said forcing a small smile. 

"No one holds it against you. We're all here for you and glad you're okay." Armin said, pulling Levi into a warm hug. 

"Thanks." Levi said softly. 

"I'm going to head inside. I need to speak to Hange about something." Armin said after letting go and smiling at Levi. "I mean it, we're all so happy that you're okay, don't worry about remembering us, we can make new memories." He said, Levi felt his eyes fill up at the sincere look on Armin's face. He nodded before Armin turned to climb inside 

"Sorry, I've been doing this a lot lately, maybe when they took part of my lungs they gave me extra tear ducts." Levi chuckled, looking at Eren as he wiped his eyes. 

"You don't have to apologize, you must be going through such a rough time." Eren smiled sadly. 

"It is, but everyone's been so great. A little overwhelming but great. I just needed a break." Levi said, leaning on the rail and staring at the lights of the city in the evening air. 

"Did you want to be alone?" Eren asked, moving over to the rail beside him. 

"You can stay." Levi said, looking up at Eren with a soft smile. Eren's face stretched into a smile of his own before turning to look out at the city as well. 

 

"So honestly, how are you doing?" Eren asked. 

"Honestly? I'm not sure." Levi said, shivering in the cold winter air. Eren stood up beside him, unzipping his hoodie and pulling it off before wrapping it around Levi. 

"Won't you be cold?" Levi asked, wide eyes moving to the Alpha's bare arms and thin t-shirt. 

"I'll be fine, I run pretty hot normally." Eren smiled before turning back to the rail. Levi hugged the large sweater around himself, breathing in the scent that lingered on it. 

 

"You know it's alright if you're not okay, there's no time frame to getting better." Eren said gently. 

"Thanks." Levi whispered sadly. 

"And if you ever need to talk to someone." Eren added, putting a hand on Levi's shoulder. Levi looked up into his caring eyes, warmth spreading through him as he lost himself in the beautiful oceans. 

"Why did I forget you?" Levi whispered "You're so nice to me. You look at me like I'm something special to you yet I have nothing before I woke up in the hospital." He said, feeling himself welling up again. 

"You are special to me Levi. It's okay that you don't remember me, but I hope you'll learn." Eren said, putting an arm around him and pulling him into his side. 

"Will you tell me who he was?" Levi whispered. 

"I'm sorry, I can't." Eren said quietly, resting his chin on Levi's head. 

"Yeah yeah. I don't need to know, everyone keeps telling me that. I know they’re right it's just... there's someone out there who was obviously so important to me that I've forgotten everything because of him." Levi said, lip trembling. 

"That must be awful." Eren whispered. 

"I thought surgery was supposed to fix everything, get rid of the Hanahaki and forget about the one who caused it and then everything is fine. Everyone is happy. But it's not fine, it's like there's a hole in my heart and I don't know how to fill it. I know I shouldn't be thinking about him, I'm supposed to have a fresh start but I can't help it. I want to know who he is, I want to know what he's doing right now. Does he know I had surgery? That I forgot him? Does he care? Did he ever care about me? I feel so pathetic and worthless." Levi cried softly, burying his face in Eren's side, his tears soaking through the Alpha's shirt. 

"I promise you he cares. He's always cared about you." Eren sniffed. "All of this was a big misunderstanding." He whispered. The words making Levi snap back and look up into Eren's glassy eyes. 

"A misunderstanding..." Levi stated coldly. "I almost died from Hanahaki because of a misunderstanding?" He said, his voice trembling in anger. 

"He fucked up." Eren whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek. 

"He fuck--- he fucked up? I would fucking say he fucked up! It's fine if he didn't love me back, that's my thing, but did he know how I felt about him? Did he ever tell me he just didn't love me back? I was pregnant with his fucking child! Was he just leading me on?" Levi cried angrily, Eren looked pained, as though he wanted to say something but wouldn't allow himself as tears slipped down his face. 

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered, looking down at his feet. "I'm just so frustrated." 

"I understand." Eren said, stepping closer tentatively, his soothing scent swirling around them both. Levi stepped into the Alpha, feeling comforted by him despite barely knowing who he was. 

 

"It's just... it's not just him I'm forgetting. It's like there's a big chunk of my life missing, I can't remember half the people in that room who I was obviously good friends with. I can barely even remember my own mother." He cried as strong arms held him tightly. "The last years before she died... it's all fuzzy. I remember some things but it's all broken and distorted... he's taking her away from me... I can't forget her. I miss her so much." He whispered. 

"I'm so sorry." Eren whispered. 

"Hey, what are you crying for, you had nothing to do with it." Levi laughed, pulling back and looking up at Eren, trying to lighten the mood. 

"I'm sorry for dumping all this on you. I just feel at ease around you, even though I barely know you." He said, wiping his face. 

"I don't mind. I'm happy I can be here for you, you can talk to me about anything, any time." Eren said with a sad smile, wiping his own face with the back of his hand. 

"Thanks. That goes both ways you know." Levi said with a shy smile. "I don’t know if it's just the way you are or if something is wrong, but whenever I see you, you look so sad." 

"Only you would notice something like that while you're going through as much as you are." Eren chuckled. "I'm going through some things but I'll be fine. Maybe I can talk to you about it when you're feeling a little better." He said, watching Levi with a soft look in his eyes. 

"I'd like that." Levi said, feeling his face heat up a little at Eren's intense gaze. 

"We should get you inside before you freeze." Eren said, running his hands up and down Levi's cold arms. 

"Yeah we probably should." Levi said shyly. "I don't think I can handle any more party, will you distract them so I can get to my room?" He asked. 

"Of course." Eren grinned, opening the window and helping Levi climb back in. 

"Goodnight Levi. If you ever need another escape just come find me." Eren smiled at him before leaning down and kissing him on the cheek. 

"I will. Goodnight Eren." Levi said, hoping the cold had turned his cheeks pink enough to cover the blush he knew he had. 

Eren gave him one more soft smile before going out into the crowded room and creating the distraction he promised. Levi laughed lightly at his antics before slipping into his bedroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys!  
> I took a little break and decided not to stress about this chapter (and if you believe that I've got a great deal for you in real estate lol)
> 
> I've had a lot going on and I had a hard time with this chapter. I'm good at super angst and not so great at fluffy medium angst. So this chapter might suck... though I kind of think that about all the chapters so I'll let you decide. (488 Kudos, it must be alright... holy fuuu!)
> 
> Oh and speaking of sad things, we went to see the Pokemon movie "I choose you" and my 5yo was straight up sobbing in the movie theatre. It's was adorably devastating.
> 
> anyway, I'm still going to aim for weekly updates but like this one they might be a bit late but they're still happening. I couldn't tell you how many chapters are left to this but I can't see there being all that many more.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Levi sat down on the couch with a glass of wine and turned on the tv. It was a little early for wine but what else did he have to do?

He had been home for weeks now and was still barely allowed to walk to the corner store five minutes away by himself; someone usually went with him. It was mainly because he still had a hard time walking up the stairs to the apartment, but he had been getting a little better; he could make it to the top without a break if he went slow.

He was enjoying the fact that he was actually alone for the first time since he came home from the hospital. Kenny and Shawn had left a week after Levi had been released but Kimi had stayed until a few days ago.

Erwin and Mike were out of town; Erwin had had a business trip that Levi had spent days convincing Mike to go with him. Mike always went with him, it was only because if Levi that they were discussing it. 

Levi just had to promise not to go anywhere by himself, he reluctantly agreed; anything to make himself feel somewhat independent.

Mikasa and Hange had agreed to leave him alone for the evening as well, it took a lot of convincing but here he was with the apartment to himself, having some day wine. 

Too bad he was feeling lonely.

He must have gotten used to having someone around all the time, he had had visitors nearly every day. He was getting to know his friends again, the ones he had forgotten. Some things were coming back to him though it was mostly still hazy, but he enjoyed their company, enjoyed talking to them and spending time with them, and he remembered everyone's name now which he was oddly proud of.

He was halfway through a movie when there was a knock on the door. He almost groaned as he wondered who was here to babysit him now. As much as he loved everyone and how much they cared for him, he wasn't a child and was getting tired of being treated like one.

He moved to the door, trying to figure out a polite way to tell whoever it was to fuck off without them getting offended before opening the door.

"Eren!" He said in surprise, eyes wide as they looked up at the Alpha.

"Hey." Eren smiled, scratching the back of his neck almost nervously.

"What are you doing here?" Levi asked, stepping aside to let Eren into the apartment.

"I heard Erwin and Mike were away." Eren began but Levi rolled his eyes.

"You wanted to babysit me, because I'm incapable of being alone for an extended period of time." He said looking down at the floor.

"Actually I just wanted to see you and ask if you wanted to go for a walk in the park." Eren said with a shy smile, surprising Levi once again.

"Yes! I'd love to go to the park. No one lets me do anything, I don't get any exercise and I'm sure I'm getting fat." Levi said with a chuckle.

"You are not getting fat!" Eren exclaimed seriously.

"I suppose not." Levi said playfully, lifting his shirt to show his tiny waist, watching Eren's eyes glue themselves to the pale flesh. "I have a giant scar now so I still can't take my shirt off in public anyway." He said quietly, putting the shirt back down.

"You're beautiful Levi." Eren said quietly, Levi felt his face heat up at the sincerity of Eren's voice, eyes moving to the floor shyly.

"We going or what?" Levi asked bashfully, grabbing his coat and keys before heading towards the door; Eren following quickly behind him.

"So how are you doing?" Eren asked, putting his hands in his pockets as they walked down the park path.

"I'm okay." Levi said with a shrug.

"Really?" Eren asked, his voice holding a tone that made Levi feel the need to just spill everything to the Alpha, once he caught those big green eyes looking at him he was done for.

"I am, I just... I'm tired of everyone treating me like a child. Just because I don't remember everything doesn't mean I can't take care of myself." Levi said, looking down at his feet.

"They're just worried about you. You really scared us." Eren said with a soft smile.

"I get that, and I'm so sorry for doing that to everyone, but I need some time to myself. I can't go to the bathroom without someone asking where I'm going, I can't have the apartment to myself for one night without begging everyone to stay away. I can't even go for a walk outside by myself!" Levi spilled in frustration, hoping he didn't offend Eren as the other man stared at the ground before them.

"Okay, I got it!" Eren grinned, looking up and stepping behind Levi.

"What are you...?" Levi asked, trying to turn around him but Eren's hands on his arms stopped him, keeping him facing forward.

"Keep walking." Eren said before letting go and running back in the direction they came, Levi looking back at him in bewilderment, laughing lightly when Eren waved him to keep going.

He walked down the path, toward the middle of the park, looking around at the beautiful winter scenery. There was snow on the trees, animal footprints in the otherwise undisturbed snow off the road, a think sheet of ice covering the duck pond further down the path.

He glanced behind him, laughing lightly when he saw Eren walking about 50 feet behind him, smiling brightly when he met Levi's eyes.

"How are you enjoying your walk?" He yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. That man was adorable and Levi couldn't help the grin on his face as he looked at him.

"Eren this is ridiculous!" Levi laughed.

"I don't know what you're talking about! You're just out for a walk by yourself!" Eren shouted.

"And I have a creepy stalker!" Levi yelled back

"Eh, just ignore him. He's probably a weirdo!" Eren yelled.

"Eren! Get up here!" Levi yelled, turning around fully and trying his best to put an angry look on his face but failing miserably as he watched Eren jog towards him, a goofy grin on his own face.

"You are a weirdo." Levi said, hitting the Alpha lightly on the arm lightly and trying not to smile.

"And you have a beautiful smile." Eren said with a grin and Levi hoped the cold was already making his face red enough to hide the blush that was not heating up his face.

"I can leave you alone for real if you want some alone time." Eren said, looking away almost shyly. "I trust you to be by yourself." He added softly as they began walking again.

"Maybe later." Levi said, swallowing his shyness. "I'm enjoying your company right now."

"Me too." Eren smiled, holding out his arm for Levi to link his own through. "Sorry I haven't been by to visit much. I figured you had enough people hanging around, you didn't need to see me." He said quietly.

"You could have come anyway..." Levi said, laying his head against Eren's arm as they walked in the cold winter evening.

"I will" Eren said.

"I'd like that." Levi said with a shy smile as he let Eren's scent swirl around him. To anyone walking by they probably looked like a couple out for a romantic evening walk; he wasn’t sure how he felt about this...

He didn't know how to feel around Eren; he barely knew him, yet he felt so familiar, like a dream he couldn't quite remember. He found himself thinking of him when he wasn't there, remembering the beautiful oceans he had woken up to that day, the soft smiles, and the intense looks.

He found himself wondering what his relationship with Eren had been like; had they been close? Had Levi talked about the other Alpha to him? Had Eren been jealous? 

Did Levi want him to be jealous? Was now an appropriate time to be thinking of someone this way, after he had almost lost himself to a disease caused by unrequited love?

"So what's been going on with you lately?" Eren asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"Umm, oh, Erwin and Mike bought a house!" Levi said.

"Oh yeah? I remember they were looking but I've been a little out of the loop, What's it like?" Eren asked.

"It's nice, like really nice! It's like a 10 minute drive away but it's out of downtown so they have a quiet street, a big backyard, shrubbery; everything you could want for a family." Levi explained fondly.

"That sounds great. Maybe you'll have that someday too." Eren said, looking at Levi with a soft smile.

"I doubt it. The Doctors say it's a wonder I got pregnant in the first place, they don't think it'll happen again," Levi said quietly.

"It's not your fault." Eren said gently as Levi felt a tear slip down his cheek, looking up at Eren in surprise. "I know you blame yourself but you really shouldn't." he said with a soft smile.

"Does  _he_  blame me?" Levi asked, looking away from Eren's intense gaze as the larger man stopped them, turning Levi towards him

"No. Definitely not!" Eren said firmly. Levi didn't respond, just nodded while looking away

"Alright, something happier." Eren said, turning Levi's face back to him and wiping the tear from Levi's cheek; his fingers warm against Levi's cold skin. "When do they move into their new house?"

"The night of the Wedding, they wanted it all to be special. Guess I should start looking for a new roommate soon." Levi said with a small smile.

"I could move in with you." Eren suggested suddenly.

"What?" He asked in surprise. "Don't you live with Armin?" 

"I do, but he's studying abroad soon." Eren explained.

"Right... he told me that. It's hard to keep everything straight." Levi nodded, trying to remember Armin explaining to him what he had been studying in school and how he had gotten an amazing scholarship opportunity to study in another country. He couldn't remember exactly what it was; doctor, scientist, marine biologist? Whatever it was Levi was sure he's excel in it, he was one of the smartest people Levi had ever met, somewhere up there with Hange.

"You're doing great." Eren said, squeezing Levi's arms gently as they continued walking, moving him to the side to avoid the small frozen puddle on the path.

"We live in a student apartment and I'm not a student anymore, I've stayed because he was there but with him leaving I was thinking about finding a new place anyway. We could keep each other company... if you want." Eren explained almost shyly.

"That would be nice." Levi said, his words stretching a smile over Eren's face.

"Great!" He said happily, his eyes lighting up more than Levi had ever seen them; the sparkle giving Levi a sense of familiarity, déjà vu maybe? His eyes always triggered something in Levi, he just couldn't grasp what it was.

"So how's wedding planning going?" Eren asked as they looped back around and started heading back the way they came.

"They're getting married in two weeks, I would hope it's finished." Levi smirked. "They won't let me do much now but I'm sure I had everything ready to go before my procedure. They better not screw it up, I worked hard on it. Can't remember some of it but still." Levi smirked.

"I'm sure it will be amazing. You'll have to tell me all about it." Eren said. 

"You're not coming?" Levi asked, looking up in surprise, he assumed with everyone being such good friends; even if Mike and Erwin didn't spend as much time with those besides Levi, Hange, and Petra, that he had been invited as well. Though now that he thought about it, the two Alpha's did act a little distant around Eren.

"I had a lot of stuff going on a while ago, I did something terrible and hurt someone I care about. I wasn't the best person to invite at the time." Eren explained with his head down.

"You seem okay to me." Levi said, looking up at Eren with a soft smile.

"I'm doing better." He said returning Levi's smile with one of his own. "I figure some things out, I was too late to fix it but I have a plan and I'm going to do whatever I can to make everything right."

"You'll do it." Levi assured

"I hope so." Eren said, eyes meeting Levi's with a hint of sadness. 

"So, do you... want to go to Erwin and Mikes wedding... with, um... me? As my date?" Levi asked shyly

"Really?" Eren asked with surprise in his voice.

"Y-yeah. I'm like the only one without a date which would be fine except I'm the best man and I have to do the whole Wedding Party dance and well... Mikasa offered to dance with me for it, but how lame is that, dancing with your cousin and... you don't have to if you don't want to..." Levi rambled nervously.

"I'd love to go with you." Eren grinned, making Levi's already flushed face heat up even more.

"Great! Um.. Thanks. It doesn't have to be an actual date, we can go just as friends." Levi stammered.

"Or not." Eren said, the grin still on his face.

"O-or not." Levi repeated, eyes moving to the ground before them, trying not to smile at the flirty look that had been in Eren's eyes as they kept walking.

They soon made it to the opposite end of the park, looping back around and heading back. They stopped into a nearby takeout restaurant, ordering some dinner before heading back to Levi's apartment.

"Fire up Netflix, I'll get us some drinks." Levi said, walking to the kitchen to boil some water for tea to warm them up before returning to the living room where Eren had their food laid out and program ready to start. 

Levi smiled to himself as he took in the scene; it felt very domestic and comfortable. He was comfortable around Eren, he wasn't comfortable around anyone except the small handful of people he was exceptionally close to; namely his roommates, his cousin, and Hange. He made his way over and sat down beside Eren who unpaused the program and began eating his food.

"Dammit Bob, had to be a fucking hero didn't ya!?" Levi exclaimed at the tv as Bob was tackled on screen

"Poor Bob." Eren said with a small grin, squeezing Levi gently with the arm that laid around his back.

"Bob was my new favorite character." Levi said, playfully devastated.

"Really?" Eren raised a brow. "I thought you loved Crazy Winona Rider."

"Shhh..." Levi smirked. "Maybe I'll be Eleven next Halloween." He suggested randomly.

"Nah, you're not tall enough. You could be Will, he's pretty tiny... hey maybe I'll be Eleven!" Eren grinned.

"Don't take this from me!" Levi growled, elbowing Eren in the ribs.

"Sorry." Eren laughed. "Do you want to keep watching? It's pretty late" He asked.

"Maybe we should sleep." Levi said through his yawn, moving to get up.

"Good idea." Eren said, standing up and stretching; drawing Levi's eyes to the creamy tan skin and hard muscles revealed by the lifted shirt.

"Can I call you tomorrow?" Eren asked, drawing Levi out of his daze enough for him to notice Eren pulling on his coat.

"Didn't you walk here?" Levi asked abruptly. "Eren, it's 3 am, you are not walking home." He exclaimed.

"I'll be fine Levi, I'm a big strong Alpha, no one will bother me." Eren said, a fond look in his eyes.

"No, you can stay here tonight. You can sleep in Erwin and Mike's room, I change the sheets." Levi insisted.

"I don't think they'd appreciate me stinking up their bed, even with fresh sheets." Eren chuckled.

"Fine, sleep in my room and I'll sleep in there, they don't mind my scent and It's not very strong anyway." Levi offered.

Eren's face filled with concentration, as though he were thinking about it for a moment. "How about I just take the couch?" He asked finally. "You're still recovering, I'm not kicking you out of your own bed." 

"Alright fine, I'll get you some blankets." He said, rolling his eyes before moving to the hallway closet for some blankets and stopping into his room for some clothes.

"This is the largest thing I own. Hange wears it when she's here and it's big on her. I can get something from Erwin or Mike if it's no good." Levi said, handing Eren an oversized t-shirt and some pyjama pants.

"It's perfect, thanks." Eren smiled, taking the bundle and heading to the bathroom to change while Levi made up a bed of the couch.

Levi felt his face heat up as he watched Eren come out of the bathroom wearing his clothes; the tshirt stretching over his lean muscles, showing off the definition underneath, and the form fitting pyjama pants riding low on his hips. Levi willed himself not to drool at the extremely attractive Alpha before him.

"A little small but it's comfortable." Eren smiled, laying his other clothes on a nearby chair. 

"Alright, well if you need anything I'll be in my room." Levi said, willing away the blush on his cheeks.

"Thanks Levi. Goodnight." Eren smiled, leaning down and kissing Levi on the top of the head, which did not help the red face situation in the slightest. Levi made an awkward squeak of goodnight before rushing to his bedroom and climbing into bed.

He stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours; thoughts of Eren running through his mind. 

He liked Eren... he really liked Eren.

Was that awful of him? He had barely even recovered from his surgery, was it too soon to move on? Wasn't that the point of the surgery? To forget the person who had hurt you and move on to someone else?

He knew he had to be careful, he couldn't fall into a mess of unrequited love again, if the Hanahaki grew back it was unlikely he could have treatment again. But Eren seemed to like him. Didn't he?

He hadn't been around much since Levi left the hospital, but he had done that for Levi's benefit, hadn't he? He smiled at him almost constantly, laughed at his awful jokes, held him close while they watched tv, comforted him when he was upset. He had seemed to like the idea of being Levi's date to the wedding...

Maybe Eren did considering him more than a friend...

But then again, Erwin and Mike laughed at his shitty jokes, held him close when he needed it, comforted him when he was upset... yet it felt different. Being around Eren felt different. He was comfortable, he felt safe, he forgot about the things that were happening around him; for a few moments while they were together he would forget about his disease, his surgery, and the fact that he couldn't remember everything.

He couldn't remember anything about Eren yet it was like it didn't matter, he felt like he still knew him even though he didn't.

 

He thought about the sad, far away look he would sometimes catch in the younger man's eyes, as though he was thinking about something that upset him... or maybe someone that upset him. 

He cared about someone, he had mentioned earlier. Someone he had hurt. Maybe that person wasn't around anymore and it was causing him the pain that Levi would catch in his eyes. Levi couldn't imagine Eren hurting anyone, he seemed so kind and gentle, he seemed to care about everyone and would do anything to help them. 

Missing someone was terrible, it left a hole in your heart that you couldn't fill. Levi missed someone; as hard as he tried to ignore it, the thought that there was someone out there that he had loved so much it had nearly killed him and now couldn't remember it hurt him. 

There was an ache in his heart where he knew that person should be and he didn't know how to fill it. Maybe that's why he felt himself crushing on Eren. The younger man was beautiful, he was a strong yet kind Alpha who seemed to enjoy spending time with Levi.

But he was an Alpha...

What was wrong with Alpha's again? 

He couldn't remember what his aversion to the dynamic had been, only that he had always refused to date Alpha's, even going along with his and Erwin's pretend relationship all through school so other's wouldn't bother him

He could date an Alpha; be it Eren or someone else. He could date any dynamic, he really had no preference if the person was right for him.

Maybe finding a partner was what he needed to move on from everything that had happened to him. Dating Eren could be nice, Eren wasn't a stereotypical Alpha who needed to act dominant or treat Levi as though he were weak or insignificant for being an Omega. Then again he wasn't actually sure how Eren felt about him, maybe he acted like that around everyone. He wouldn't dwell on it; just let things fall where they may.

Though he couldn't help but let the beautiful green oceans of the Alpha's eyes run through his mind as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

> _"My god_ _Kuchel_ _, he looks just like you! It's so nice to meet you Levi,_ _" An_ _unfamiliar_ _woman leaned down in front of Levi with a big smile on her face; his view of her slightly obstructed by his mother as he hid partially behind her._
> 
> _"Likewise." He whispered as Kuchel giggled and explained his shyness. He stopped listening to what the two women were saying as his eyes landed on a small boy with messy brown hair and the biggest, brightest green eyes Levi had ever seen._
> 
> _"Hi Ms. Ackerman, Hi Levi!" The boy said with a big smile, eyes focusing on Levi, before Kuchel led them inside for tea._

Levi woke up a few hours later with his mind racing; trying to sort out the fragmented dream he had had. He should have tried to get more sleep, but he was fixated on the people in his dream; they had been so clear as he was waking up but the longer he thought about it the further the memory slipped. 

Those eyes though... those green eyes. Had he dreamt about Eren? Was it a dream or did he remember something?

He finally gave up, heading to the bathroom for a hot shower before making himself some tea and reading up on the news at the kitchen table.

"Morning." A groggy Eren said, sitting up on the couch, long brown hair tangled and messy. He was adorable and it drew Levi's attention with a smile.

"Hey. Want some breakfast?" Levi asked, getting up from the table.

"Yeah. Mind if I use your shower? I can help with breakfast after." Eren said with a yawn and scratching the back of his head.

"Go ahead." Levi smiled, watching the Alpha wobble to the bathroom before taking out the breakfast items and preparing their meal

"Hey Levi?" Eren called out almost shyly from the bathroom just as Levi was finishing up breakfast.

"Yeah?" He asked, dishing it out onto the plates.

"I forgot my pants." Eren said with shy amusement in his voice; Levi unable to hold back the chuckle as he went to grab Eren's clothes from the chair he had laid them on the night before.

"Hurry. Breakfast is ready." Levi said passing them in through the door as something fell out of Eren's pocket, landing on the floor with a clatter.

"Oh, I'll get it." Levi said, leaning down to pick up the small bottle.

"No! I'll get it!" Eren paid in a panic, jumping out of the bathroom in just his boxers, though he was too late as Levi picked up the bottle, noticing the familiar pills inside and reading the label. He looked up at Eren in shock.

"Why are you taking these?" Levi demanded.

"Levi... I..." Eren began.

"I take these pills. Why do you need them?" Levi insisted. "You don't have..."

"I have early stages! Very early! I'm going to be fine, it's already receding." Eren said, his voice sincere and promising. Levi stared at him in silence, he didn't know what to say. What could he say? He barely knew Eren, it really wasn't any of his business, especially if the other man was getting treatment.

"You promise?" He finally asked quietly and Eren nodded, eyes staring intently into Levi's. "Get dressed, breakfast is ready." Levi added softly before turning back toward the kitchen.

He sat down in front of his breakfast, waiting for Eren to come out. 

He was right, Eren was missing someone. He had someone who he loved; loved enough to give him the same disease Levi was recovering from. That's why he always had the far off look in his eyes, why he looked so sad. 

He wasn't thinking of Levi; at least not about dating him. He was trying to forget about a love that didn't love him back. 

Levi could help him do that, maybe they couldn't have a romantic relationship, not when Eren loved another; but they could be friends, Levi could help Eren though everything just as Eren had been helping him.

Eren came out of the bathroom a moment later, sitting down across from Levi at the table but not meeting his eyes. 

"I'm sorry, I overreacted. It's none of my business really, it just surprised me." Levi said quietly.

"It’s okay. I just didn't want you worrying about me, you have enough going on." Eren smiled, looking up at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Levi asked.

"Not really." Eren said, picking at his breakfast. 

"Okay." Levi nodded, picking at his own food. "If you ever do..." He began.

"I know. Thanks." Eren said with a warm yet sad look in his eyes before they began to eat in silence.

They didn't talk about Eren's health again, though it did plague on Levi's mind almost constantly. He had had such a hard time adjusting to his loss of memories and everything that he didn't know since he woke up, even just the fact that he had had the disease and couldn't remember through him for a loop. He didn't want anyone to go through that, he didn't want Eren to feel as lost as he had. 

The least Levi could do was help Eren take his mind off it; which in turn took his own mind off his own issues. 

They had been spending much more time together, Eren coming to visit daily; usually with a box full of belongings after Erwin and Mike begrudgingly agreed that Eren moving in was a good idea. They didn't seem to like the idea much at first but they came around when they realized they wouldn't have to worry about Levi if Eren was there to watch out for him; Levi assumed they were only hesitant because they were still hoping he was going to move in with them.

Erwin, Hange, and Levi decided to spend Erwin's last night as an unmarried man together in the apartment. Mike had gone to stay with his cousin for the night so they could uphold the tradition of not seeing each other the day of the wedding; having a get together of his own with some friends. 

"So, tomorrow is the big day." Hange said through a spoonful of ice cream as she lazed on the couch with her two best friends.

"It is." Erwin smiled fondly.

"Look how calm he is! If I were getting married tomorrow I'd be losing my mind!" Hange exclaimed.

"But he's marrying Mike, what's to even be nervous about." Levi said, grabbing the ice cream tub away from Hange and scooping up some for himself.

"You've got a point." Hange said trying to grab it back but failing miserably. "You two have been together forever, you are absolutely perfect for each other." She explained.

"I'd like to think so." Erwin chuckled.

"I mean, the only rocky time you've had is when you thought he was cheating on you but he was actually saving up to buy you a ring and freaking propose!" Hange laughed.

"You're right." Eriwn laughed, grabbing his own scoop. "It was crazy of me to think that, I should have listened to Levi."

"Always listen to Levi! He even helped me and Petra get together." Hange grinned.

"Mike and I too, then helped with the proposal, did nearly everything to make it the most perfect night of my life so far. He even planned almost the entire wedding by himself! Levi I don't know what we would have done without you." Erwin said with a smile, looking over at the smaller man.

But Levi was lost. Lost in his thoughts, in his broken memories. Erwin's words brought up memories; how Erwin had had such a crush on Mike during high school, how Levi and Mike worked together at the Café during the summer and Levi could tell Mike had feelings for the younger Alpha. He remembered his graduation plan, he remembered them getting together, he remembered them moving in together, he remembered most of their relationship.

"Levi, what's wrong?" Erwin asked, moving to kneel on the floor in front of him while Hange sat beside him on the couch; her arm around his back, pulling him into her side. 

He looked up into Erwin's worried blue eyes; only then noticing the tears filling up his own.

"I don't remember the proposal..." He finally said, his voice barley loud enough to hear. 

"What?" Erwin looked confused, before his eyes softened again, "No, Levi, that's okay." He said warmly, taking Levi's hands in his own.

"No it's not! I was there, I helped, I have absolutely no memory of it!" Levi cried.

"Hey, come on, I wasn't even there, I don't remember it first hand either." Hange said, trying to cheer him up.

"I don't remember helping you and Petra get together either." Levi said. "I remember talking to you about it but nothing else."

"That doesn't matter Levi, it wasn't a big deal, just as little conversation to give Petra a push, then she called me and we’ve been together ever since." Hange assured.

"Fine, maybe that's not a life altering moment, but your proposal." Levi looked back at Erwin. "The best night of your life and I can't remember, what kind of best friend am I?" He sobbed quietly.

"You're alive." Erwin said firmly, moving to sit on Levi's other side and wrapping his arms around the two of them. "Levi, you could forget everything about me, everything about everyone and I wouldn't care as long as you're alive and healthy, that's all that matters to me, to any of us." He explained.

"It's true. You're our best friend and we're so unbelievably happy that you're okay. We almost lost you, so the fact that there's a few semi important details that you can't remember doesn't matter because you're here and we love you." Hange said, tears falling down her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin tonight." Levi whispered, feeling terrible about the looks of concern on his best friends faces. He had been doing so well lately; hadn't had a panic attack over his memory in a couple weeks, had barely even thought about it. He had been doing well actually, he had been remembering names, getting to know his old friends, and even remembering the different things they had been telling him. 

But it only took one important detail to break him down and make him feel worthless.

"You're not ruining the night." Erwin assured, giving him a squeeze. "Besides, you might not remember the best night of my life so far, but you're going to be standing beside me on the day that's going to top it." He smiled down at him.

"Wouldn't miss it." Levi smiled.

"Oh and hey, Eren took a video of Mike proposing, let me see if I can find it." Hange said, grabbing her phone off the coffee table and scrolling through it.

"Eren was there?" Levi asked in surprise.

"Oh yeah, you recruited him to help. You both dressed up as waiters and served us a romantic three course meal. It was lovely." Erwin smiled.

"You two were adorable." Hange grinned, holding up her phone with a selfie of Eren and Levi, Eren's arm around him, pulling him close as he took the picture. Eren with a big grin and Levi with a small smile. It was a nice picture, Levi felt his face heating up as he looked at it.

"Why was he there?" Levi asked as Hange took back her phone to open up the video.

"That boy would do absolutely anything you asked him to. He's like a puppy." Hange said.

"It's true." Erwin smiled fondly, Levi raised a brown curiously.

"I didn't think you liked Eren." He said.

"What gave you that idea?" Hange asked, waving him off.

"You did, when you didn't want me to move in with him." Levi said, crossing his arms and leaning back on the couch, out of their reach.

"We were tentative about it, but we did agree that it's a good idea. At least we know he'll take care of you." Erwin said.

"Well gee thanks Mom and Dad." Levi said with a smirk.

"What did we just say? We love you and we worry about you!" Hange said with playful anger.

"I know, thank you." Levi said giving them a warm smile. "I guess he's officially moving in tomorrow." He added.

"And Mike and I are officially moving out." Erwin mused.

"Alright, let me see that video!" Levi said as his eyes were getting misty again, taking Hange's phone and pressing play. 

The next day went by smoothly, everything fell into place exactly as Levi had planned; the decorations were beautiful, the cake delivered on time, guest arriving as planned.

Levi couldn't help but smile as he stood beside Hange as they watched Erwin and Mike say their vows and suppress their large grins as they stood before their family and friends. He was so unbelievably happy for his friends, no one dererved this more than those two Alpha's.

When the ceremony was over Levi linked arms with Mike's cousin/ best man (woman) Nanaba and walked down the aisle, glancing at the friends around the room, all with smiling faces, even catching eyes with Carla who smiled happily at him. 

He was surprised when he didn't see Eren's face, the Alpha had told him that he would be there, Levi was kind of depending on him for that dance in a couple hours.

He was sure Mikasa would still dance with him if he asked, but it wasn't like Eren to not follow through on something. Not to mention Levi had been looking forward to dancing with the Alpha, though he wasn't going to admit that out loud.

Levi stood off to the side as Mike and Erwin greeted all of their guests in the lobby before they would head out to take some pictures in the park.  he still wasn't great with socializing, especially when he didn't know a lot of people.

"Hey, Levi! You looked great up there." Marco called out as he and Jean walked towards him.

"Thanks." Levi smiled. "Glad you could make it."

"I loved it! You were right, Jean did invite me, though after you told me I kind of made him" Marco laughed. "Oh, just a little conversation we had before, nothing important." He waved off as Levi looked confused.

"Well good. Jean just needs a little push sometimes." Levi smirked up at Jean who seemed happy to just be with the tall omega. 

"You, uh.. Don't know where Eren is do you?" Levi asked almost shyly.

"Oh right! He wanted me to tell you he was running late. Mina decided the paternity test had to be today and it's running longer than he expected." Jean explained before getting an elbow to the ribs and a stern look from Marco.

"What happened to 'Tell Levi I'll be late but I'll be there for the reception.' Then stop!" He whispered harshly.

"Paternity test?" Levi asked in shock.

"Fuck." Jean said with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" Annie asked as she and Bertolt came up to them, Annie glancing from Levi to Jean curiously.

"Who’s Mina?" Levi asked his voice calm but his mind running. Eren had a baby? Or at least might have a baby? Was Mina the one he had mentioned? the one who had caused his Hanahaki? Is that why he looked to sad, because he loved her and she was pregnant with possibly someone else's baby?

"Mina is Eren's ex girlfriend." Annie said simply.

"Why is she having a paternity test?" Levi asked, knowing the answer but still needing to hear it, regardless of the pain it caused as he thought of how much Eren was hurting over this.

"She was cheating on Eren when she got pregnant. They think the baby is Thomas' but they wanted to know for sure." Annie explained calmly. Levi just nodded, he wanted to call Eren, wanted to be there with him as he found out. He didn't know what Eren wanted; if he wanted the baby to be his or if he would be glad if it wasn't. It was upsetting regardless and he shouldn't have to do it alone.

"Hey Levi, come on, Picture time!" Hange yelled from the lobby doorway, drawing Levi's attention to the rest of the room that had mostly cleared out in the last few minutes; the guests leaving to find something to take up the next couple hours as the wedding party did their photoshoot. 

Levi put a smile on his face as they went to the park, he made himself forget about Eren for the time being while he watched the happy couple pose with their family members before taking the 'fun' pictures with the wedding party.

Levi stood on the Gazebo looking out over the lake as the sun was setting as they were taking the last of the pictures, now with just the grooms. He was tired,  wedding planning and overseeing along with picture taking was exhausting but it was definitely worth it to see the happy faces of his best friends.

He was startled out of his thoughts by heavy footsteps running up towards him, looking up to find Eren, breathing a little heavy, obviously running through the park.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I had a thing." He said smiling down at Levi.

"It's okay, at least I don't have to dance alone." Levi smiled back at him.

"Never!" Eren chuckled.

"They're almost finished, then we'll go to the reception and get some dinner." Levi explained, leaning back on the rail as he had been doing.

"Do I get to sit by you?" Eren asked, leaning beside him.

"No I'm at the head table but you can sit by Petra since Hange's with me." Levi suggested and Eren nodded.

"How was your thing?" Levi finally worked up the courage to asked.

"Oh. Good." Eren said, seemingly surprised by the question.

"Is it yours?" Levi asked quietly. "Jean let it slip." He explained to Eren's wide eyes.

"No, it's not." Eren said quietly.

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered.

"Don't be. I'm relieved actually. She was cheating on me, she's with him now. It's good that it's his baby." Eren explained.

"It's awful that she cheated on you, you didn't deserve that." Levi said, leaning over to bump his shoulder against Eren's.

"It is, but I'm over it. I cheated on her too actually, it was only once and long after she had been doing it to me but that doesn't excuse it." Eren said.

"Well at least you didn't knock anyone up." Levi chuckled awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah." Eren laughed stiffly, his eyes filled with sadness. Levi could tell he was upset by the whole thing, he was just putting on a happy face for him. He wanted to hold the Alpha and tell him it would be okay, but he knew he couldn't do that, instead he'd just play along until Eren felt like talking to him about it.

The continued to watch the sunset until they were called away, going back to the Hall where the reception was held.

Levi walked in and sat down at the head table, beside Erwin as their meals were served. He watched as Eren spoke to his parents, Carla giving him a long, tight hug and Grisha a pat on the arm before they parted and Eren made his way to the table closest to Levi; giving him a smile as he sat down beside Petra and Mikasa.

The reception was great, Levi and Hange had a speech (Hange did most of the speaking), a few others got up to say a few words or a funny story about the couple. There were clinking glasses to signal a kiss throughout the entire dinner, and everyone was having a great time.

"Alright, last toast of the night!" Erwin said as he and Mike stepped up to the podium. 

"First of all we wanted to thank everyone for coming out tonight and I hope you all had a great time. I know we did." Mike grinned, kissing Erwin's cheek, earning himself a laugh over the audience.

"I know it's not very common for two Alpha's to be together, even more uncommon for them to get married, we appreciate all the love, acceptance, and support we've received from all of you." Erwin began.

"You have to support us or Levi will kick your ass. He's tiny but he could do it!" Mike added.

"That's true, he's quite terrifying." Erwin chuckled. "You know I tried to go the Omega route once. Way back almost 10 years ago, the first summer that Levi had moved to our town, one hot afternoon in my air conditioned basement we shared a kiss. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice kiss, but I was too hung up on the adorable Alpha who worked in the Café while he was home from college and I had absolutely no chance with!" He grinned, the crowd chuckling.

"I figured if Levi couldn't turn me onto Omega's then no one could, come on have you see him? He didn't go for me either, it was a weird kiss, like kissing a family member. He is family, from that summer and to this day he is my best friend. We almost lost him a while ago and I can honestly say we've never been so terrified in our entire lives; Levi you have no idea how happy I am that you're here today, that you stood by me as I married the love of my life. I love you so much Levi." Erwin said, his voice cracking at the end and eyes glistening in the light.

"We both do." Mike said, voice trembling slightly.

Levi felt all eyes on him as tears streamed down his face. "I love you too, now hurry up and get on the dance floor." He shouted from his seat, the two Alpha's laughing as they wiped their eyes and made their way to the dancefloor to share their first dance as a married couple.

"Hey." Eren said, coming up to Levi as the first song ended but Erwin and Mike kept swaying together in the center of the room. Levi looked up at the Alpha with a smile.

"I believe it’s time for us to dance." Eren said holding out a hand as the rest of the wedding party made their way to the floor with their partners. Levi nodded and took Eren's hand, following him up with the others, where Eren's hand went to his waist as they got in position and began swaying to the music.

"So you kissed Erwin huh?" Eren whispered with a grin as they moved slowly to the music.

"Yeah, when I was 14." Levi rolled his eyes.

"I dunno, he's a good Alpha; big, strong, Handsome." Eren said.

"We pretended to date all through high school too, though he was handsome he was also scrawny until his senior year." Levi laughed.

"Why did you pretend to date?" Eren asked.

"It was easier. We both wanted to be left alone, I didn't date Alpha's." Levi explained.

"Why not?" Eren asked curiously.

"I'm not sure... I don't remember. But it was an Alpha that made me sick wasn't it? Maybe I didn't want anyone but him. I don't know who he is now, so I can't say I'm against dating an Alpha... if the right one is interested." Levi said, feeling himself blush under Eren's gaze.

"I'll have to keep that in mind." He said, his voice flirty but his eyes sad, probably thinking of Mina and the baby again.

"I guess you understand better than I thought." Levi said quietly. "Is Mina the one who made you sick?" He asked gently but Eren shook his head sadly.

"O-oh." Levi was surprised. 

"It's the one I cheated on her with." Eren said quietly.

"Do they know?" Levi asked.

"They did." Eren said sadly. 

"Okay, well let me help you take your mind off them, at least for right now." Levi said with a small smile before leaning his head against Eren's chest.

Eren didn't say anything but he nodded as he rested his cheek against the top of Levi's head and held him a little tighter as they swayed together to the music on the crowded dance floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!
> 
> There were some cute moments right??
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help!  
> 95% of my office is at a conference and I'm stuck on the reception desk!  
> It's eerily quiet up here with only 4 people in the office and it's hard to answer the phone when your throat is burning.
> 
> So I decided to post this early because you guys are awesome (and I want comments to break up my day a bit lol) 
> 
> Sorry if the formatting is shit, I'm uploading from my phone. I'll fix it later if it is. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

 

 

Levi had never been much of a dancer, but that didn't stop him from dancing the night away at Erwin and Mike's wedding, spending most of the evening with Eren but sharing a couple dances with Mikasa, Hange, the grooms, and a few others who wanted to cut in. He had more fun than he remembered having in ages.

  
He may have shed a tear or two when Erwin and Mike said their goodbyes, though he blamed the few glasses of champagne he had had earlier. It was weird for the three of them not to be going home together, not to be living together, but it was a new chapter in their lives and it was exciting, despite the tears and offers to join them.  
He refused with an eyeroll and a hug before the two climbed in their car and drove off to their new home, Eren slipping an arm around Levi's shoulders and leading him back inside.

"Welcome home." Levi said as Eren followed him into the apartment.  
"I'm not moving the rest of my things in until tomorrow." Eren laughed lightly, helping Levi out of his coat.  
"Oh... right..." Levi said almost sadly, he had had so much fun with Eren tonight he hated to see him leave.  
"I can stay if you want." Eren suggested with a small smile.  
"It's not very late, we could watch a movie." Levi suggested.  
"Sounds great." Eren said. "Go get changed, I'll make some popcorn."  
They both changed into comfortable clothes, grabbed a blanket and the popcorn then cuddled together on the couch as they turned on a movie. Levi was beginning to think this was his favorite place; warm and cozy in Eren's strong arms. They weren't intimate or romantic, they were just comfortable, since Levi had woken in the hospital he had only felt this at ease with a few other people. While he remembered nearly everything about his three closest friends and cousin, he remembered nothing about Eren yet he still felt so safe and content around the Alpha.  
He hadn't even noticed he had fallen asleep until he was lifted into Eren's arms, credits rolling on the tv and Eren's scent swirling around him as he was carried toward his bedroom.  
"Stay with me?" Levi whispered through his sleepy haze as Eren covered him with the blanket. Eren didn't say anything, Levi almost thought he had left the room before the bed dipped behind him; Eren's chest pressing against his back and an arm around his waist as the larger man lay down behind him.  
Levi felt himself hum happily as he slowly drifted back to sleep, surrounded by the warmth of his Alpha.

 

>   
>  _"My mom says Omegas are precious and they need to be protected! Hey maybe I'll be an Alpha! You can be my Omega, I'll keep you safe!"_  
>  _Levi felt his ears turn pink as he looked into the other boy's bright green eyes and the big smile on his face_  
>  _"O-okay."_

 

  
"Hello?? Anyone home? "It's 11:30 you better not still be asleep!" Carla's voice ran through the apartment.  
Levi opened his eyes slowly, finding himself cuddled into a strong chest, an arm secured under his head and around his back, and Eren's relaxed and soothing scent swirling around him. He looked up at Eren's sleeping face, he looked so peaceful and beautiful; mouth open slightly, long dark eyelashes fanning out over his cheeks, able sleep through almost anything apparently.

  
"Well, what have we here?" Carla startled Levi out of his thoughts, he had forgotten what it was that had woken him.

  
"Five minutes Mom." Eren groaned, beginning to roll over but stopping suddenly and eyes snapping open when he realized Levi was there.

  
"W-we... we were just sleeping." Levi said bashfully, tearing his eyes away from Eren's and sitting up, feeling the heat radiating from his face and ears.  
"Just sleeping?" Carla asked, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.  
"How did you get in?" Eren asked, sitting up and stretching.  
"Levi gave me a key ages ago. You said you wanted my help unpacking, get up and let's get started!" Carla said, pushing off the door and walking away. "I'll put on some coffee." She called from the hallway.

  
Levi got out of bed quickly, grabbed some clothes and scurried to the bathroom to clean himself up for the day. He passed Eren on the way out, smiling shyly before hurrying out to the kitchen where Carla was already sitting to the table with a steaming mug.

"Did you have a good night?" She asked as Levi poured himself a cup and sat down across from her.  
"We were only sleeping." He said, not meeting her eyes.  
"I didn't say you weren't." Carla grinned, sipping her coffee.  
"We're just friends." He insisted.  
"I know." She said and he put his head down, eyes focusing on his coffee. "You know, it's okay if there's something more between you." Carla added.  
"But we're roommates, just good friends..." Levi said, looking over his shoulder to make sure Eren was not behind him, but still hearing the shower running.  
"Don't the best relationships bloom from friendship? I see the way you look at him." Carla said.  
"Guess I haven't learned my lesson, have I?" Levi asked.  
"How so?" Carla asked, looking surprised at the statement.  
"Here I am, just having had surgery for Hanahaki, not knowing anything about the one who caused it, and now I'm crushing on one of my friends who's just trying to help me get through it. Isn't it too soon to even be thinking about someone like that?" Levi asked.  
"I don't think so. I think that if you weren't ready to develop feelings for someone then you wouldn't. I think that if you are feeling something for Eren then you should explore that, maybe tell him and see where it might lead." Carla explained.  
"But he's my roommate... what if he doesn't feel anything for me and things get weird?" Levi asked.  
"You won't know until you try." Carla said simply, Levi nodded thoughtfully.  
"What about Mina? Or whoever it is that's making him sick with the same thing I had." He asked quietly.  
"Nevermind about them. Eren is getting treated for his Hanahaki, we caught it in plenty of time and he is getting better with just the medication. Now, it seems to me you both got into the mess you're in because you were too afraid to tell the person you love how you felt about them. I suggest you not make the same mistakes again." Carla explained.  
"I'll think about it." Levi said quietly as they heard the bathroom door open.  
"Don't rush yourself but don't let love pass you by either." Carla said quietly before Eren walked into the room, a towel around his neck to catch the water still dripping lightly from his hair.

  
"Hey, what are we talking about?" He asked, grabbing a coffee.  
"About how long you take in the shower, it's lunchtime now and we haven't even started unpacking yet." Carla scolded.  
"Sorry." Eren said, sitting down to the table, flashing a smile at Levi.  
"I brought your father's truck, go get the rest of your things, I'll unpack the boxes that are already here then make some lunch." Carla instructed.

  
"Alright, thanks Mom." Eren gulped down some of his coffee and stood up before leaning over to kiss his mother on the cheek.  
"I'll come help." Levi offered, standing up.  
"No heavy lifting!" Carla warned sternly.  
"I'll keep an eye on him, I promise." Eren smiled, sliding an arm around Levi's shoulder and leading him out of the room.

"So what were you two talking about?" Eren asked as the two climbed into the pickup truck and made their way to Eren and Armin's apartment.  
"Oh.. Um. Nothing really." Levi said shyly. "Just chit chat."  
"About me?" Eren asked, Levi's eyes widened in shock. Did he know? Had he heard them?  
"Because I spend so much time in the shower." Eren added with a grin.  
"Oh! Yeah, we were" Levi said with an awkward yet relieved chuckle.  
"I know, I'm a slob, I don't make my bed, pick up my clothes, and I take long showers. Will you still love me while I'm driving you nuts?" Eren asked playfully.  
"Of course." Levi squeaked, coughing to clear his throat. "But you're going to have to start picking up after yourself if you don't want me kicking you out." He added, trying to keep up the banter.  
"I can do that for you." Eren smiled, keeping his eyes on the road. Levi felt himself blush as he looked out the window.

They made it to the apartment, only to find Armin sitting in the middle of the living room floor with boxes, belongings, and books around him.  
"What do I take? How do I know what to leave?" He asked, voice panicked. He was leaving in 2 days and still didn't have all of his things packed up.  
"Ar, you're only leaving for a year, all of your stuff will be here when you get back." Eren laughed.  
"I know, but what if I need something but I leave it here?" Armin asked, holding two books in his hand.  
"If you forget something then just call me, I'll overnight ship it." Levi smiled, sitting down on the floor beside the Beta. Armin slumped over, leaning his head on Levi's shoulder.  
"What if I'm no good over there? What if no one likes me? What if I fail my classes? They take away my scholarship." He trembled.  
"Armin, you're being ridiculous." Levi chuckled. "You are one of the sweetest, smartest people I've ever met. You're going to be amazing over there, you're going to do your research, you're going to ace all your classes. Everyone is going to love you." Levi said, rubbing the younger man's back.  
"I don't make friends very easily." Armin said quietly.  
"You have tons of friends." Levi assured.  
"Yeah, but I met them all through Eren. Eren's not coming with me this time." Armin whispered.  
"I don't know you from Eren." Levi said simply.  
"Yes you do." Armin scoffed.  
"Well I don’t remember that. What I do remember is waking up with so many people coming to see me and I had no idea who any of them were, but even though I couldn't remember you, you were still so sweet and kind to me. And in the weeks since you've been patient with me, you would tell me the same story three times without making me feel bad for not remembering." Levi explained with a soft smile.  
"Levi's right." Eren said from the doorway. "Just because you've met everyone through me, doesn't mean than I'm the reason they like you. You're going to be great! Don't worry so much." He smiled.  
"You guys are right. I know you are. I'm just scared." Armin sighed.  
"You'll be fine, and you can call us anytime." Levi assured.  
"Thanks." Armin said, giving Levi a tight hug before they turned back to his things, sorting them into the "Take" and "Stay" boxes for a few minutes before there was a knock on the door before it opened.  
"The Muscle is here!" Connie announced as he and Reiner walked in, both flexing as Armin wolf whistled.  
"About time you showed up, hot stuff. Come on we've got two beds and a dresser to move." Eren said, carrying a box out from his bedroom.  
"Right!" Reiner said, following Eren back through the hall; nodding a hello to Levi and Armin.  
"How's packing?" Connie asked  
"Good, I've only had about 3 meltdowns." Armin chuckled as Levi stood up, carrying a box over to the designated "Stay" area  
"Hey hey, enough of that." Connie added, taking the heavy box out of Levi's hands and carrying it the rest of the way.  
"I can do it!" Levi protested.  
"Levi, you had surgery less than four weeks ago, you have to be careful!" Armin said, worry in his voice.  
"Fine. I'll go grab some pillows or something." Levi grumbled, heading to Eren's bedroom where he and Reiner were taking apart the bedframe.  
"Just grabbing something under 10 lbs." Levi said sarcastically, looking around the room.  
"Aww, they giving you trouble?" Reiner asked, standing up with a smile. Levi just shrugged and started folding up the sheets they had just taken off the bed. "I'm sure you'll be back to carrying twice your weight in no time." The Alpha laughed.  
"Yeah maybe I can knock you out again." Levi smirked.  
"I don't doubt it." Reiner said.  
"To be honest, it's not hard." Eren said playfully.  
"Oho! Think you can take me Jaegar?" Reiner asked.  
"Oh I know I can! You're all show." Eren taunted.  
"You couldn't do it last time we fought." Reiner grinned.  
"I was six!" Eren defended.  
"Yeah and your boyfriend had to take over when I threw you around like nothing." Reiner laughed, though his smile faltered a little, eyes moving from Eren to Levi.  
"Boyfriend?" Levi asked, trying to remember the events of this story. Was it the same one? Had he been the 'boyfriend'?  
"He's joking. I was six, I obviously didn't have a boyfriend." Eren laughed awkwardly.  
"Yeah, you know me, I get carried away with things. Come on Jaegar, let's get this dresser out of here." Reiner said, grabbing one end while Eren quickly moved to the other.  
"Damn, that is a sexy picture right there, amiright?" Connie asked as the three smaller men watched the two Alpha's carry the large piece of furniture through the apartment and into the hallway. Levi didn't respond, though he felt himself blush as he also admired Eren's biceps.  
"That is two of my oldest friends, I'd rather not think about how sexy they are." Armin rolled his eyes and walked over another pile of things waiting to be packed.  
"More for us then." Connie elbowed Levi playfully.  
"Y-yeah." Levi said quietly, eyes falling to the floor.  
"Oh come on, you can't tell me you don't think Eren is attractive. Hell, besides Reiner he's probably the sexiest Alpha I've ever met." Connie said, Levi feeling his cheeks heat up even more as Connie elbowed him. "admit it!" He grinned playfully.  
"He's beautiful." Levi said bashfully, making Connie grin even wider.  
"Hear that Armin?" The younger Omega asked.  
"I did. So? Eren is beautiful." Armin said, smiling at Levi and giving him a knowing look.  
"True." Connie said thoughtfully. "So you and Eren are getting close?" It was phrased as a question but it was more of an observation than anything else.  
"We're just friends." Levi said, he seemed to be saying this a lot lately, he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince anymore.  
"For now." Armin smirked.  
"Am I so transparent?" Levi asked.  
"No, I just have a feeling. You two would be good together." Armin said. "Maybe we should focus on settling in as roommates for now. I'm not sure either of us are in a good place to be thinking of relationships right now." Levi said sadly.  
"Maybe." Armin shrugged, pulling another box over towards the doorway.

"I think you should tell him." Reiner's voice carried through the hallway after they heard the elevator ding through the open apartment door. Eren made a quick shushing noise as the two Alpha's walked inside; green eyes meeting Levi's instantly. Levi felt himself blush slight as he looked away; he wasn't sure he even wanted to know what they had been talking about.  
"Alright, let's get the rest of the stuff and head home. I'm starving!" Eren smiled as they went to grab the bed. Armin, Connie, and Levi began bringing the smaller are boxes to the elevator.  
They spent the next few hours bringing Eren's things to his new apartment, the items Armin was leaving behind to Grisha and Carla's basement, and even dropped Erwin and Mike's bed off to their new home.  
It had been exhausting, but by that evening everything was in its place, the apartment was cleaned, and Eren was officially moved in.  
"Hey! No, what are you doing?" Levi asked, looking around frantically with his sleepy eyes as he felt himself lifted into Eren's arms.  
"Putting you to bed." Eren smiled as Levi's head fell to his shoulder.  
"But we have to celebrate you moving in." Levi mumbled, nuzzling into the strong muscles of Eren's chest; he smelled so good, even when he wasn't actively giving off his Alpha scent.  
"We have lots of time to celebrate." Eren chuckled as he carried him toward his bedroom.  
"I'm really glad you're here with me." Levi whispered as Eren laid him against his pillow; feeling soft lips lingering on his forehead as he slowly drifted to sleep.

  
Living with Eren was interesting; he took long showers, leaving Levi more than once with only cold water for his own, he left dishes in the living room, groceries on the counter, and clothes draped on the furniture.  
But Eren was trying and Levi was trying not to be bothered by these insignificant details. It had taken a couple weeks but Eren was no longer leaving dirty dishes around the apartment and tidying up the kitchen, he even made a point to always let Levi shower first so there would be enough hot water for his short showers.  
The fact that Eren would do these things for him made Levi's chest tingle with warmth; he couldn't help but smile whenever he thought of the Alpha and how much he seemed to care for him. Not even the scattered clothes could bother him when Eren treated him as he did, (At least they were clean!)

Levi felt himself falling deeper in his feelings for Eren, he knew he shouldn't have let himself but it was easier said than done when he was spending nearly every day with the Alpha. They would eat breakfast together in the morning, Eren would check in on him during the day while he was at work, then they would eat dinner together when the taller man came home, and spend the evening together.  
It was almost like they were already in a relationship; Levi just felt so at home around the Alpha, as though they were somehow meant to be this way. Sometimes it felt as though Eren had similar feelings; even their friends had hinted to Levi that he had feelings for him but whenever Eren seemed to be getting closer he'd pull away.

Levi didn't want to push, he didn't want to make Eren uncomfortable, he valued e the younger man's friendship too much to jeopardize it by making a move when Eren was clearly not ready.  
It didn't stop them from becoming incredibly close; they went for walks together, went grocery shopping together. The only time Levi didn't spend with Eren was when he would go visit Mike and Erwin for the evening, though he had only done that a couple times since the two Alpha were still in their new marriage bliss stage.  
They even began going to weekly family dinners together with Eren's parents, Carla had insisted that Levi come with Eren; just because he didn't remember them as well as he should have didn't mean they thought of him as anything less than family.  
Levi didn't mind, he felt as comfortable with Carla as he did with Eren, as though she was his family; almost like his own mother. He smiled at her as they walked into the house, leaning into her warm hug before she led them inside.

"So Levi, you're going back to work next week, I hear." Carla said as they sat around the living room, waiting for dinner to finish cooking.  
"Yeah, modified duties. I have to work in the office for a couple weeks. Filing and stuff." Levi said with a small eye roll.  
"It’s better than straining yourself." Carla said firmly.  
"I know." He flashed her a small smile before they heard the front door opening again.  
"Dad, Carla, we're here!" A deep voice called.  
"In here!" Carla called back. "Your father ran out to get rolls, he'll be back shortly." She added as a tall blonde man walked in, leading a pretty woman beside him.  
"Pieck, no crutches!" Carla exclaimed happily.  
"They're by the door." The woman chuckled as she was helped onto the couch beside Carla. "Hi Levi!" She smiled.  
"Hi." Levi said, a little confused how she knew him.  
"It's good to see you Levi, how are you feeling?" The blond man asked, Levi eyed him curiously.  
"I'm okay..." He said.  
"You don't remember me do you." The man asked, he didn't seem upset or surprised by it.  
"No, sorry." Levi said quietly.  
"That's okay. I'm Zeke, Eren's older brother, and this is my girlfriend Pieck." Zeke introduced.  
"Nice to meet you both." Levi smiled politely at them.  
They seemed very nice, they were easy to talk to just like the rest of Eren's family. Levi listened intently as Zeke and Grisha told funny stories of what had been happening in the hospital, Carla catching them up on what had been going on elsewhere, and even Eren telling some of the things they had been up to since they moved in together.

"So Pieck and I decided to move in together." Zeke said, smiling at the woman beside him as they were finishing up their dinner.  
"Oh really, that's wonderful!" Carla said happily.  
"I know we haven't actually been together that long... officially anyway." Zeke said, glancing at Levi for a moment. "But we've known each other so long and we didn't want to waste any more time not being together." He continued, eyes falling to his father almost nervously.  
"Well I think it's a great idea." Grisha said, surprising everyone around the room. "In light of recent events, I've come to realize that when you find love, you need to be straightforward and grab it. Don't let doubt or reason get in the way." He said, taking his wife's hand and bringing it to his lips. She smiled at him before looking over to Eren and Levi.  
Levi adverted his eyes, he was probably the reason Grisha was talking about, while it may have done some good around him but it didn't change the fact that he had been too weak to do anything about it himself.  
"Thanks Dad." Zeke smiled.  
"And thank you Levi, for talking some sense into him and in turn, me." Pieck smiled, catching Levi's attention.  
"Me?" Levi asked in surprise.  
"You told me that I was in love with her. You didn't even know her and you knew better than I did." Zeke chuckled.  
"I'm glad I could help." Levi smiled at them as Carla served them dessert and coffee.

"Hey, so I offered our apartment for movie night. Petra texted everyone to cancel since Hange is studying tonight. Is that okay with you?" Eren asked as they rinsed the dishes and piled them into the dishwasher.  
"Of course." Levi smiled at him. "I haven't looked at my phone, I probably would have offered too if I had."  
"Great. Now I won't have to wake you when you fall asleep." Eren smirked and Levi bumped him playfully.  
"I do not fall asleep every time!" Levi demanded.  
"I dunno, you fall asleep on me a lot." Eren teased.  
"Maybe you're just comfortable." Levi said, feeling his cheeks heat up as he grabbed another plate. "I can stop if you want." He added quietly.  
"No!" Eren said immediately. "I like being close to you." He added quietly.  
"me too." Levi said bashfully, glancing up at the smiling Alpha.

"Hey guys." Zeke said, coming into the kitchen. "Mind if I talk to Levi for a couple minutes?" He asked.  
"Sure." Eren said, eyes lingering on Levi for a moment before heading out. Levi watched him go before looking up at Zeke.  
"It's good to see you looking so healthy." The older man smiled as he picked up the dish towel and began drying the dishes that didn't fit in the dishwasher, as Levi washed them.  
"Thanks." Levi said. "Sorry I don’t remember you. We must have been close if I could tell you loved Pieck." He added.  
"It's alright, I'm not that important in your life." Zeke laughed. "Not much of a boyfriend either if you were setting me up with someone else while we were still together."  
"Boyfriend??" Levi asked in shock.  
"Sorry, I should have eased in to that a bit." Zeke said, eyes wide with concern.  
"No, no. It's fine... We were... together?" Levi stammered, staring at the Alpha.  
He couldn't imagine dating the other man, sure he was very handsome with his sincere smile, flattering facial hair, and pale green eyes; though they had nothing on Eren's large, sparkling ocean green eyes, but he just didn't seem like someone Levi would date.  
But then again, Levi didn't know him, he barely knew himself. He had been learning things about himself the last couple months that he had no idea he would have done.  
"We were, not long, a couple months. I don't think either of us were overly invested in our relationship." Zeke explained.  
"Why did we start?" Levi asked.  
"I was looking for a distraction and you are incredibly beautiful." Zeke smiled.  
"Thanks." Levi said quietly, his blush reaching his ears.  
"Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed being with you. You are an incredibly person and if it wasn't for Pieck I probably would have been happy with you." Zeke said.  
"Maybe. But it's nice to be with the person you truly love." Levi smiled.  
"It is." Zeke said, a fond look in his eye. "I hope you end up with yours too." He said.  
Levi nodded, though he couldn't help but think he never would. He had no memory of the one he loved, and while he had been developing feelings for Eren, he wasn't sure if could even allow himself to love someone as strongly as he had loved the Alpha whose name he didn't know.

Zeke and Levi continued their conversations as they finished the dishes before heading back to join the family. Levi and Eren didn't stay much longer; both giving Carla a hug before they left, stopping into the store to pick up some movie snacks and heading home to meet their guests.

Levi had been enjoying movie nights; apparently this had been something he had been doing for months before his surgery. He may not remember doing it before but it didn't stop him from looking forward to them now, it was nice to do something different when he was stuck at home most of the time.

He was having difficulty focusing on the movies and his friends, the whole situation with Zeke had thrown him for a loop. To think that he dated someone yet having no memory of him or their time together.  
The only relationship he had been in since Petra and until a couple hours ago he had no idea he had been in it.  
He wished he could remember, wished he could remember what it was like to be with someone who wanted him. Maybe Zeke wasn't the best example since he had wanted Pieck throughout the entire relationship, but still he found himself wanting to know what it was like to be with someone.  
He looked around the room from his spot on the couch; squished between Mikasa and Petra, Sasha on the other side of Mikasa, Bertolt and Ymir squeezed into the large chair with Annie and Krista cuddled on their laps, Connie and Reiner sitting together against the wall. They were all in relationships, they all seemed so happy together. Levi wanted that, he wanted to be loved, he wanted to love someone in return.  
He wasn't even sure if he knew how to love someone.  
His eyes moved to the back of Eren's head as the other man sat on the floor in front of him, leaning against his legs. His fingers unconsciously moving to the Alpha's soft brown hair, playing with it idly.  
He liked Eren, but could he love him? Was he good enough for him? He obviously wasn't good enough for the other Alphas who couldn't love him back, what made him think Eren could feel any different.

"Did I bring Zeke to these?" Levi asked from the couch as Eren said goodbye to the last of their friends; locking the apartment door behind them.  
"What?" Eren asked in surprise.  
"Zeke, he was my boyfriend. What did we do? Did he know our friends?" Levi asked.  
"He knows of them, met most of them once or twice but I don't think you two ever spent time with them." Eren explained, sitting beside Levi on the couch. "Why?" He asked.  
"I don't know. It's weird... I had to be told about a relationship I had with someone because I don't remember anything about it." Levi said, leaning his head on the back of the couch.  
"Did we kiss? He said we liked each other, we must have kissed. Besides the one kiss I shared with Erwin when I was 14, I've never kissed anyone except Petra. That was years ago, but now I have and I don't remember." Levi rambled.  
"I'm sorry, I don't know, you didn't really talk to me about these things." Eren said, his voice quiet.  
"I must have, it makes sense if we were dating. What else did we do? Oh god, did we have sex? How could I have sex and not remember it? But then I did have sex that I don't remember didn't I, I was fucking pregnant but as far as my memory tell me, I'm still a fucking virgin!" He continued, he was shouting now as panic took over.

It had been so long since he had had a panic attack over his memory, not since Mike and Erwin's wedding. He thought he had everything under control, thought that he could handle it all, but he kept getting hit with harsh blows that knocked him back a few pegs.  
Eren shifted closer to Levi, threading his fingers through Levi's and swirling a soothing scent around them both in order to calm the Omega, though for once it barely helped; Levi too wrapped up in his thoughts.  
"Wait... he's not... it wasn't." Levi's eyes widened as he looked up at Eren. "It wasn't his baby was it?" He asked, eyes blurring as he waited for an answer he was terrified to know.  
"No, no. Levi it wasn't Zeke's baby." Eren said, pulling the small man into his arms and rocking him gently.  
"I don't remember him, we had a relationship that I have no memory of..." Levi whispered.  
"Levi, I promise you it wasn't Zeke that made you sick. You and Zeke only knew each other for a short while, I don't think you were intimate. You don't remember him because you were too involved with the one who did give you Hanahaki." Eren explained, holding on to the trembling Omega tightly.

"Then who was it?" Levi cried into Eren's chest. "I just want to know who it was. I want to know who made me forget everything; important parts of my life, important people in my life!" He said, looking up into Eren's eyes with tears streaking his face.  
"I can't tell you I'm sorry." Eren said, his own eyes turning glassy.  
"Why not?" Levi whispered.  
"He's not ready for you to know. He doesn't want you to hate him." Eren's voice trembled.  
"How could I hate him when I know nothing about him? All I know is that I loved him, loved him so much that I nearly died. I just want to speak to him. Get some closure, tell him goodbye so I can move on. I need to fill the hole that he left behind." Levi cried quietly, burying his face into Eren's chest again.  
"I'll talk to him." Eren said, his own voice trembling. "I'll try to make him talk to you."  
"Really?" Levi whispered, feeling Eren nod against his hair.  
"Of course, I'd do anything for you." Eren whispered.  
"Thank you." Levi said, holding Eren tight.  
"Hey, why don't we get cleaned up, put on some pyjamas and watch our show for a bit before bed." Eren suggested.  
"That sounds nice." Levi said, pulling away from Eren, wiping his face. Eren smiled softly at him, nodding before they stood up and went their separate ways.  
Levi went to the bathroom to wash his face, brush his teeth, and calm down before changing into his bed clothes. He walked out of his room, heading to the living room before he was distracted by a strange noise coming from Eren's room.  
He was about to knock on the door as it lay slightly ajar, though the sight inside catching his eyes. Eren sitting on the edge of his bed, hunched over something in his hand as he sobbed quietly.  
"Eren?" Levi called softly, Eren straightened up, putting what looked like a picture frame in his nightstand drawer before closing it quickly and looking over at Levi.  
"Hey." He said, wiping his eyes. "Sorry, I got distracted, I'm coming." He said as Levi walked over and sitting beside him.  
"I'm a terrible person." Levi said quietly.  
"What? No!" Eren insisted.  
"Here I am dumping all my shit on you when you're dealing with something so much worse." Levi said, putting his arm around Eren's back. "Can you tell me about them?" He asked, rubbing the Alpha's back, letting out wisps of a soothing scent for the Alpha; it wasn't much but the best he could do for the Alpha who always did the same for him.

"He is the most beautiful person I've ever met." Eren began with a soft smile.  
"I bet he is to catch your eye." Levi smiled, urging him to go on.  
"He's not just beautiful in appearance... I mean he is, he had the most intense eyes I've ever seen, like dark clouds before a storm, I find myself completely captivated by them, by his angelic face. But he's so much more than a pretty face; he's shy and quiet but he's so sweet and caring, he would do anything for anyone if they asked him. He is as beautiful inside as he is out." Eren explained, his eyes filled with sadness.  
"He sounds wonderful." Levi said quietly.  
"He is." Eren nodded.  
"Have you told him that you love him?" Levi asked and Eren nodded again. "And they don't return it?" He asked surprised.  
"It's complicated." Eren whispered.  
"Eren, you are a wonderful person, the most wonderful person I've ever met. Everything you say about him is true about you too. You are beautiful, kind, caring, amazing! If he can't see that then he can't be as wonderful as you say, if he can't see what I see then he doesn't deserve you." Levi insisted, taking Eren's hands in his own and looking into his eyes.

"If it were anyone else I would tell you that you're right, but that's not the case. I'm the one who messed everything up, I'm the one that hurt him, that caused him so much pain, and put him in the situation he's in right now." Eren said, fresh tears streaming down his face.  
"What did you do?" Levi asked gently.  
"I can't tell you. Not right now." Eren sobbed shaking his head.  
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything, but just know that you can tell me anything when you're ready to do so." Levi said, holding Eren's face in his hands and looking deeply into his eyes.  
"I just want him to love me." Eren whimpered, burying his face into Levi's shoulder.  
"He's a fool not to." Levi whispered as he stroked his hair softly. Eren leaned away so he could look into Levi's eyes.  
"Do you really think so?" He asked, his cheeks streaked with tears as his eyes held such intensity, Levi could only nod.  
Eren's fingers slipped through the short hairs on the back of Levi's neck, hand cupping his head as he was pulled forward, lips crashing into Eren's. He stiffened in shock only for a moment as Eren's lips moved desperately against his own; closing his eyes and melting into the touch.

 

 

 

> _"I really like you Levi."_  
>  _"I like you too."_  
>  _Intense green filling his vision as the boy leaned in closer, pressing lips gently against his own; only for a moment before the light pressure was gone._  
>  _"Good."_
> 
>  

They parted a few moments later; breathing heavily and staring into each other's eyes. Levi tried to grasp the memory he had only glimpsed; the boy he would give anything to remember.

  
"I may not be the one you love, and you might not be the one I can't remember, but maybe we can help each other get through all this shit." Levi offered.

  
"Yes." Eren nodded. "I'd like that." He smiled.  
"Me too."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh look progress!
> 
> Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think.
> 
> <3


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waddya at bys??
> 
> Look an even earlier chapter! I think I'm spoiling you..  
> I've been sick lately (with the flu) and actually managed to finish pretty early. I was going to wait but I have no patients it seems (as always)  
> That and the radio silence is killing me. I want comments. I always want comments. I don't think you understand how giddy I get every time I see new comments in my email.   
> Even when I have no idea whatsoever how to reply to them, I love them.
> 
> So please, Have at 'er!
> 
> Tell me what you think! A part you liked, one you didn't. Tell me about your day, I don't care!  
> Let me know if you're still with me. It's really long and angsty, easy to lose interest. (Hate to say I've done that before myself)
> 
> Enough with my frivolous ranting.
> 
> Please enjoy!

 

 

Levi opened his eyes to the sun shining in through the living room window, streaming into his face from where he lay on the couch. He rolled over, facing a strong chest as arms tightened around him. 

He looked up into Eren's sleeping face with a soft smile, they must have fallen asleep watching their movie, it wasn't like they hadn't done this before; Levi had woken up in Eren's arms many times in the last couple months, but this was the first time he had woken up beside him, knowing they could be more. 

How much more, he wasn't sure, but the prospect was exciting. 

He watched as Eren's eyes fluttered open, moving to Levi's as the haziness lifted, a smile spreading over his lips. 

"Good Morning." He said, leaning down and catching Levi's lips in a gentle yet lingering kiss. 

"Morning." Levi whispered, heat rising in his cheeks. 

"Have I ever told you how cute you are? Especially in the morning." Eren grinned and Levi buried his face in his chest as the larger man chuckled.  

"Stop." Levi groaned. 

"No." Eren laughed. "You are adorable and you know it." 

"I'm manly and rugged." Levi said, looking up with a glare. 

"Of course you are." Eren grinned, tipping Levi's chin up with his finger and kissing him again. "I can't believe I get to do that whenever I want." He whispered as they parted. 

"H-how long have you been wanting to?" Levi asked shyly, looking into Eren's beautiful green eyes.  

They were truly amazing, especially this close, he had been this close to Eren before but never brave enough to stare into them. The blue and green threaded together with fleck of gold shimmering throughout; they were mesmerizing, they were familiar... more than just they eyes he had woken up to in the hospital, or the eyes he had seen daily since Eren moved in... he had seen them somewhere before.  

In a dream, maybe? A memory? 

 

"Longer than I want to admit to you." Eren smile. 

"Before I got sick?" Levi asked in surprise and Eren nodded shyly. "Before you got sick?" He asked again. 

"Yeah." Eren said quietly/ 

"How did I feel about you?" Levi asked, eyes moving to where his fingers were playing with the wrinkles in Eren's shirt, afraid to meet the other. 

"How do you feel about me now?" Eren asked. 

"I l-like you." Levi felt himself blush, having never admitted such a thing to anyone before 

"Then it doesn't matter how you felt about me before, all that matters is how you feel about me now." Eren smiled, taking Levi's small hand in his own and bringing it up to his lips. 

"But what if I start to really like you but you can't see past him?" Levi asked, his voice trembling. He didn't want to come across as needy or selfish but he was terrified; terrified that he'd open up to someone, only to be ultimately rejected and get sick again. 

"That won't happen." Eren promised, sitting up on the couch and pulling Levi with him, looking deeply into his eyes. "I like you too Levi, I'd like to see where this takes us." He said, running his fingers through Levi's hair as the Omega nodded. 

 

"Maybe we could have saved each other." Levi whispered, leaning into Eren's hand. "If we had given each other a chance and forgot about the ones who don't love us back; maybe you wouldn't need treatment and I'd still have my memories." He said. 

"Let's not worry about that." Eren said with a sad smile. 

"Okay. We'll just worry about distracting you from him until you're better." Levi smiled, crawling onto Eren's lap in an act of bravery he wasn't aware he had. 

"Sounds good to me." Eren grinned as Levi pulled him in for another kiss. 

 

 

Eren and Levi's relationship didn't really change after that, they acted almost exactly as they had before; spending every evening together, eating together, running errands together. The only difference now was the kisses they would sneak in at every opportunity. In the morning when they would meet in the kitchen for breakfast, in the evening when they watched tv together on the couch, any time they passed each other in the hallway. 

It was exciting, it was new, it was something Levi had never experienced before. He never been with someone who made his stomach flutter whenever their eyes met, or make him blush at the simplest of compliments. 

 

He wanted to be around Eren all the time, he never got tired of the younger man, never needed a break or time to himself. He spent every evening with Eren, often falling asleep in his arms, only to find himself being carried to bed and kissed goodnight as Eren left for his own room. 

He did miss waking up beside the Alpha, it hadn't been something that happened often but since they established their new relationship they decided it was better they didn't at all for now, if they were to take things slow as they had planned. 

 

 

 

"Call me tomorrow and I'll come pick you up." Eren said as he pulled into Erwin and Mike's driveway.  

Levi had been invited over for the night, Erwin telling them it had been too long since they had had some quality time together; they even had a special dinner planned for the four of them. 

"I'm sure someone will drive me home tomorrow." Levi smiled. 

"Well maybe I like driving you around." Eren said with a grin, before pulling Levi towards him, pressing their lips together. 

"A-alright. I'll call you." Levi said feeling the tips of his ears burning. It had been a couple weeks since they had started their relationship, yet Levi still turned into a shy, blushing mess whenever Eren kissed him suddenly.  

"Have fun." Eren said as Levi grabbed his overnight bag and climbed out of the car, heading toward the house and waving before going inside. 

"I saw that." Mike said with a smirk, as Levi took off his shoes in the porch. Levi looked up at the smirking man, his face heating all over again. 

"I.. Um.. I was going to te.." He stammered. 

"I'm happy for you." Mike cut him off. "You can tell us all about it later." He smiled. Levi nodded with relief and followed the other man into the kitchen where Erwin was cooking and Hange sitting to the island with a glass of wine. 

"Hey!" Erwin smiled. 

"What's for dinner, it smells amazing." Levi said, climbing up on the stool beside Hange. 

"Never mind what we're having, we're all here now, I want to know the big news!!" She shouted as she poured Levi a glass of wine. 

"Can't we sit down to dinner first?" Erwin chuckled, taking the plates and dishing up their dinner as Mike grabbed the jug of water from the fridge and they all moved to the table. 

"Must be important, since we're in the dining room with the fancy cutlery." Levi said, sitting down and looking at the two Alpha's. 

"So what's been going on with you two?" Erwin asked, ignoring the statement. "Seems like we haven't been seeing much of you lately."  

"No no no!" Hange said waving her finger at them. "We are not changing the subject!" She said. 

 

The two Alpha's glanced at each other with small smiles, linking their hands together as Erwin reached for an envelope on the counter behind him, pulling out two slips of paper. 

"So you know how we put our names into the adoption agency months ago." He said slipping them towards the other two. "They said it could take years, but a few weeks ago we met a young Omega girl." He explained. 

Levi picked it up, looking at the small black, white, and gray picture; a tiny blob in the middle. He looked up at them in shock. "You're having a baby?" He whispered. 

Erwin and Mike couldn't hide their grins. "Nothing is definite, it's still early and she can still decide at any time that she wants to keep it, but she likes us and agreed to give us her baby." Erwin said. 

"Oh my god!" Hange cried, jumping up and wrapping her arms around the two Alpha's. "That is so great!!" 

"It's amazing!" Levi said, getting up and joining in on the group hug. 

"Thanks, we're very excited." Mike said happily.. 

"I'd say! What's she like?" Levi asked with a grin, pulling away and sitting back in his seat. 

"She's the sweetest girl, she's 16, smart, polite. She's on the honor roll, she's athletic, she had her future all planned out. She's not sure if she forgot her birth control or if it just didn't work during her least heat." Erwin explained. 

"She said she's just not ready for a baby but is happy to carry it for us." Mike added. 

"That is... I am... so happy for you." Levi said feeling his eyes well up and his throat constrict as he stared at the tiny bean in the sonogram. 

They were going to be amazing parents, they were the best people Levi knew and they deserved this, he was so happy for them. He felt almost selfish to think about his own baby as he looked at the picture. The baby he couldn't even remember, the one he hadn't been strong enough to protect. 

"Levi, are you okay?" Erwin asked, reaching across the table, laying a hand on his. "I'm sorry if this is bringing up old memories." He added, concern in his eyes. 

"What? No, of course not!" Levi said, wiping his eye hastily and smiling at them. "I'm just so happy, you're going to be wonderful parents and I can't wait to be an Uncle."  

"And you're going to be the best Uncle!" Mike smiled. 

"And we're going to spoil that baby rotten." Hange grinned, making the three men chuckle before digging into their dinner. 

 

They had a nice meal together; Mike and Erwin talking about their plans for the new baby, Hange talking about the work she was doing and how close she was to finishing school for good.  

 

"So Levi, you didn't tell us how work is going." Erwin said as they sat in the living room, letting their meals digest comfortably.  

"It's good. I've just been filing and doing data entry mostly. They've been showing me how to do the scheduling for pickups. I have to see the doctor soon, hoping he'll clear me so I can get back in the truck soon." Levi explained. 

"Are you well enough? Those bags are heavy and you only had surgery two months ago." Erwin asked, concern in his voice. 

 

"I'm fine! I've been doing really well actually. Eren and I have been going for walks nearly every evening and I can make it up the stairs to the apartment without losing my breath." Levi insisted. 

"That's great Levi." Hange smiled, squeezing his leg. 

"Just be careful." Erwin said with a soft smile.  

 

"So you and Eren are getting close huh?" Mike asked with a smirk, Levi shot him a glare as the tips of his ears grew hot. 

"What was that?" Hange asked, eyes wide looking between the two. 

"What do you know?" Erwin asked his husband, a similar expression to Hange's on his face. 

"I don't know anything." Mike said innocently. "I was just looking out the window when Eren dropped him off, saw their goodbye." He shrugged with a cheeky grin. 

 

"What kind of goodbye?" Hange demanded, looking at Levi. "Are you and Eren together?" She asked. 

"We..um.. We're trying something out." Levi explained shyly. "I know it's probably too soon to be thinking of starting something with someone, especially when I can't remember him from more than two months ago, but there's just... something about him. I like being around him. And he's dealing with the same thing I was and I thought we could help each other..." Levi rambled nervously. 

"Levi! Stop." Erwin said, turning towards him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's great." He said sincerely. 

"It is." Mike agreed. "We just want to see you happy." He smiled.  

"Thanks." Levi said. "I was kind of afraid to tell you, I didn’t think you guys liked him very much." He added, looking down at his hands. 

"It's not that we don't like him. We're just... worried about you. That's all." Erwin explained gently. 

"What did he do? He said he went through a hard time a while ago, is there something I should know?" Levi asked, looking up at their faces. 

"Nothing important. Eren is a good guy. He made some mistakes like everyone else, but he's working to fix them." Erwin smiled. 

"I really like him." Levi said shyly, feeling his face burning slightly. 

"He really likes you too. We can tell." Mike smiled. Levi smiled back at the two Alpha who were pretty much giving him their blessing, before glancing over to his unnaturally quiet best friend. 

"Hange?" He asked, her eyes almost sad as they looked up to meet his. 

"Eren is a good guy. I think you two could have something special." She said with a small smile. "But if he ever hurts you I will rip his throat out." She threatened. 

"Thanks Hange." Levi chuckled as the Beta wrapped her arms around him.  

 

She didn't let go, just shifted so that the four of them could cuddle together on the couch, Levi squished between Hange and Erwin, Mike on the end, as they turned on a movie and spent the evening together. 

 

 

 

The rest of Eren and Levi's friends took the news of their budding relationship fairly well; some more tentative about it than others, Mikasa especially so. Levi didn't really understand since he had thought she and Eren had become good friends over the last couple years, but it was probably just her over protectiveness toward him.  

He couldn't hold it against her, she was his family and he appreciated how much she cared for him and looked after him. 

 

She did come around to it, threatening Eren's life if he were to hurt Levi, just as the others had, but it seemed to sate her and they all carried on as they did before. The only difference being he and Eren sitting a little closer during movie night. 

 

 

 

"Eren, I can pick up a few groceries and walk home all by myself." Levi laughed into his phone as he walked through the aisles of the nearby grocery store, throwing a couple items into his basket. "Does Annie like asparagus?" He asked absently, picking up the vegetable. "She's the only one that I'm really not sure of on food preferences." 

"I think so? I'm pretty sure she'll eat anything. But if you just wait for an hour I could have gone with you." Eren said through the phone. 

"I wanted to get everything started early. I'm not getting that much anyway. See you when you get home okay?" Levi said, throwing a tray of chicken into his basket. 

"Alright, call if you need me." Eren said. 

"Will do." Levi smiled, "Now relax, finish your day then we can relax and enjoy your birthday." He said, chuckling at Eren's response and ending the call, putting his phone back in his pocket as he continued up the aisle.  

He noticed a woman walking up the aisle ahead of him trying to console the small baby in the seat as he cried. Levi's eyes fell to a small toy on the floor. 

 

"Excuse me!" he called out, picking up the small stuffed bear and catching up with the dark haired woman. 

"Hey buddy, you dropped this." Levi smiled at the tiny baby, he was only a few months old but smiled as his eyes landed on the little bear that Levi tucked under his arm. 

"He's adorable, what's his name?" Levi asked looking over to the woman, surprised by the wide eye look on her face. 

"T-teddy. Theodore actually, after his grandfather." She said nervously. 

"What a nice name." Levi said, tickling the smiling baby before looking back at the woman. She was young, probably younger than him, with pretty eyes and long black hair; a little unkept but understandably so with an infant. What caught Levi's attention the most was how nervous she seemed, like she was afraid to speak to him. 

"Are you okay?" He asked. 

"Y-yeah. I have to go." She said, grabbing the cart and pushing it away hastily, leaving Levi behind with a confused look on his face. He watched her go for a moment before shrugging it off; maybe she wasn't good with strangers, maybe she was in a hurry, she could have any number of things going on, she was probably fine. 

He finished picking up his last few items then went to get checked out before heading out of the store. 

 

"My tire is flat!" He overheard, looking around to see the woman from earlier on the phone beside her car; one back tire completely flat on its rim.  

"I don't know! I must have run over something on the way here." She said, her voice panicked as Levi changed his course and walked toward them. 

"I know you just got to work Thomas! But what am I supposed to do?" She said in a hushed angry tone. 

"Hey, need some help?" Levi asked, obviously surprising her by the shocked look on her face. 

"N-no, thanks." She said. "j-just some guy." She said into the phone. 

"Come on, I know how to change a tire, do you have a spare in the trunk?" Levi. asked. 

"Thomas, I have to go." She said, ending the call and putting it away. "I think?" She said to Levi, opening the trunk for him. Levi gave her a smile and lifted up the bottom, pulling out the emergency jack, wrench, and dummy tire before getting to work. 

"So you have to loosen the knuts before you raise the car, then line up the jack on these grooves and pump until the tire is raised completely off the ground." Levi explained as he raised the car and unscrewed the knuts before removing the damaged wheel.  

"Then just place the dummy tire back on, screw the lug knuts back on, lower the car and tighten them with the wrench. It should be fine to get you home and to a garage, just don't drive over 80km and get it replaced as soon as you can." Levi continued as he put the tire and tools into the trunk before turning to load the groceries inside for her. 

"Why are you helping me?" She asked quietly, picking Teddy up out of the cart baby seat. 

"Why not? I couldn't leave someone in trouble when I'm able to help, especially a new mother." Levi smiled as she tucked the baby into his car seat. 

"Can I give you a ride home? As a thank you?" She asked shyly. 

"Sure, thanks. I live close by." Levi said, climbing into the passenger seat and laying his own grocery bag by his feet. 

"I'm sorry Levi, for everything." She said as she drove down the street with Levi's direction. 

"For wha---" He stopped short as he realized he hadn't yet introduced himself. He stared at her in shock. "H-how do you..." He asked. 

"What?" Mina asked, glancing between him and the road, surprise on her own face. "You don't know me?" She asked. 

"I'm sorry, am I supposed to?" Levi asked quietly, she stayed silent as she watched the road. "I'm sorry, I had surgery recently and I've forgotten most of the friends I made in the last year.. Or well, re-made." He explained as she pulled in to a parking spot in front of Levi's building. 

"It's probably better that you don't know me. We weren't exactly friends and I didn't treat you very well." She explained. 

"I'm sure you weren't that bad, you seem very nice now." Levi said with a smile. "What's your name?" He asked. 

"Mina." She said quietly, looking anywhere but in his eyes. 

"O-oh." Levi said, his eyes wide in surprise. This was Mina? Eren's Mina? Teddy was the baby that could have been Eren's son? 

"I guess you know of me." She laughed bitterly. 

"Not much. Only that you were Eren's girlfriend and... the baby." Levi said. 

"Not my proudest moment." Mina said, glancing back at her sleeping son. 

"Everyone makes mistakes." Levi said, taking her hand and smiling gently. 

"You're so nice." She laughed sadly. "Makes me wish I was nicer to you." 

"Why did you dislike me so much?" Levi asked curiously. 

"Because you were you. The boy that broke Eren's heart, the one he would cry on my shoulder about when he first moved here. The one he promised he was over when we started dating but the minute you came back I could tell it was over." She explained. 

"Me?" Levi asked, nearly speechless at this new information. 

"You two are soulmates, haven't you figured that out yet?" She asked. 

"Soulmates?" Levi asked, voice trembling. "I-I mean. I really like him, he's been amazing to me since I had my surgery. We've been dating a few weeks, but it's not serious."  

"You don't remember him either?" Mina asked with surprise. 

"I had Hanahaki Disease. I had surgery for it and I forgot the one that I had one sided love for, but I also forgot almost everything about the friends we shared." Levi explained. 

"I'm sorry Levi, it's none of my business, I've done enough already" Mina said. 

"T-thanks for the ride Mina. I have to go. It's Eren's birthday, we're having some friends in." Levi said, fumbling with the car door to open, grabbing his grocery bags and climbing out of the car and hurrying inside. 

His mind was in a daze as he quickly unloaded the groceries and started on dinner. What had she been talking about.  

Soulmates? He and Eren? 

Yes, he felt something special between him and Eren, he felt completely safe and at home with the Alpha, but it was still so new. He barely knew him. As far as he remembered they had only known each other a few months. If they had had a deeper relationship before Levi's surgery wouldn't he have told him? 

 

Levi was so lost in his thoughts that he did even realize Eren had come home until he felt familiar arms wrapping around him from behind and lips on his neck. 

"Hey, I called out but you seem lost, what are you thinking about?" Eren asked with a smile, resting his chin on the top of Levi's head. 

"N-nothing." Levi said, turning around in Eren's arms and giving him a forced smile as Eren's eyes filled with concern. 

"Hey, what's wrong. Are you feeling okay? You feel warm." Eren said, putting a cool hand on Levi's forehead and cheek. 

"I'm fine. Just standing too close to the oven." Levi assured, his smile softening slightly as he lost himself in Eren's eyes. 

"We can cancel tonight if you're not well. I can call everyone and reschedule." Eren offered. 

"No, it's your birthday. They’re all bringing side dishes, Sasha made a cake. We're having a nice dinner party." Levi insisted. 

 

"Alright, by why don't you go lay down until they get here." Eren said. 

"I'm fi--" Levi yelped as Eren lifted him into his arms, carrying him toward the bedroom. "Eren!" Levi growled, wrapping his arms around the Alpha's neck, trying to hide the smile he couldn't stop from spreading over his lips. 

"Gotta look after my boyfriend don't I?" Eren smiled, laying Levi down on the bed and crawling to lean over him. "My boyfriend that smells so good." He added, burying his nose in Levi's neck, nuzzling his scent gland. 

"I didn't think I had a scent." Levi said, running his fingers through Eren's hair, everything was so easy with Eren. Where it usually took years to feel this comfortable with someone, it just felt right to be this close with the Alpha; like they had already spent years together. 

"You do. It's not very strong normally, more sometimes that others, but I've always been able to smell you, even when no one else can." Eren whispered, moving his lips up over Levi's jaw, kissing his way to his lips. 

Levi melted into the kiss, as he always did. Eren had a way of making him forget everything around him, make him feel like they were the only two in the world. He wanted to give himself to Eren; planning on surprising the Alpha after their friends had left by spending the night together in Eren's bed. 

But as he thought about it Mina's words returned to his mind. Eren had loved him? Before his surgery, while Levi had been in love with another. Was he the one causing Eren's sickness?  

Had Eren caused his own? 

 

"What's wrong?" Eren asked, leaning away from Levi, looking at him with his beautiful big green eyes. 

"I'm sorry, it's nothing." Levi said quietly, his mind swimming with new possible information. 

 

"Hello?? You better be decent." Mikasa's voice rang through the apartment after the door opened, voices of their friends filtering through. 

  

"You sure you're okay?" Eren asked before moving off of him. 

"I am." Levi said, sitting up. "We can talk later okay." He added, Eren nodding reluctantly as they went out to greet their friends. 

 

"You better not have been defiling my baby cousin" Mikasa said, glaring at Eren. 

"I am a gentleman!" Eren laughed, cracking her serious face with a smile. 

"Mikasa, I am over two years older than you!" Levi exclaimed. 

"I base on size not age." Mikasa smirked, crossing her arms defiantly. 

"Hey, I'm older than you too, am I a child?" Annie asked, standing beside Levi. 

"Maybe." Mikasa said, towering over her with a matching glare. 

"Well I'm the tallest one here, so y-you're all children." Bertolt said with timid bravery, making Annie's face soften to a fond smile as she looked at her boyfriend. 

"He's got a point!" Reiner laughed, patting Bert on the back. "Let's eat, I'm starving!" He said, putting a large store bought salad onto the counter. 

"Sounds good to me." Levi smiled as he went to prepare everything for their meal. 

They all dished up their food and carried it to the table Levi had neatly set the night before. Starting on their dinner and catching up on everything that was going on. 

"So, I know it's Eren's birthday, but we have some news." Mikasa said as they were finishing their cake. Levi looked up at his cousin, he had been having a hard time focusing throughout dinner, but he was curious about what his cousin had to say. 

"I asked Sasha a very important question a few days ago." Mikasa explained with a smile. 

"And I said yes!" Sasha said happily, holding her hand out to show the sparkling ring on her finger. 

"Holy shit Sash! You didn't tell me??" Connie shouted, grabbing her hand. 

"Sorry, we wanted to tell everyone at once." Sasha giggled. 

"It's amazing!" He said, pulling her into a hug. 

"Congratulations!" Bertolt said, hugging Mikasa. 

"It really is great." Levi smiled, walking over to Mikasa as she wrapped her arms around him. "You two are so great together, I knew this would happen at some point." 

"Thanks Levi." She said, pulling away to look at him oddly. 

"Are you feeling okay? You've been acting strange and you're sweating." She asked quietly, her overprotectiveness shining through despite her own excitement. 

"Just a little under the weather." He said waving her off. She gave him a stern look but her attention was caught by her other friends wishing her congratulations. 

 

They sat around for a while, drinking coffee or tea and just talking. Levi had yet to follow a conversation, too wrapped up in his thoughts. Finally giving into them, trying to piece everything together. 

Eren had said that everything had been a big misunderstanding, that the Alpha felt terrible about what had happened. If the Alpha had felt so bad then why hadn't he come to see Levi? Why hadn't he come to apologize? 

Everyone had known him, everyone had been friends with him, yet no one would tell Levi who he was... No one spoke of anyone else that Levi hadn't met. 

Eren had always seemed so sad when they spoke about Levi's unknown Alpha. Extremely sad, as though he were guilty.  

Could Eren be the Alpha? Levi had been able to find small memories of all of his friends; glimpses of their time together, but with Eren, he still remembered nothing. 

He had had dreams... what had he dreamed about? Green. There was always green. Had he been dreaming of Eren? Had his mind been trying to tell him that it was Eren that he was forgetting? 

 

"Levi!" He heard everyone shout, drawing him out of his thoughts. He was dizzy as he looked around, was it warm in here? He felt a hand on his back, pressing his shirt into his damp skin. He looked up at the concerned faces of his friends. 

"Y-yeah?" He asked. 

"You don't look so good Bro." Connie said. 

"Yeah, maybe you should lay down." Annie added. 

"I'm fine. I just.. I need to go to the bathroom." He said softly, moving to get up. Eren was on his feet in a moment, holding Levi up and helping him walk towards the hall. 

"I knew we should have cancelled." He said. Levi looked up into Eren's worried eyes, getting lost in them only for a moment before pulling away from the Alpha. 

"Did.. Did I do something?" Eren asked, surprised hurt in his voice. 

"No... Maybe? I'm not sure." Levi whispered, leaning on the wall. 

"What is it?" Eren asked desperately. 

"I-I.. I don't know." Levi said weakly. 

"You don't want to... you're not... breaking up with me. Are you? Eren asked, his voice trembling slightly. 

Levi stared into his eyes for a moment. Break up? That was the last thing he wanted to do. Everything with Eren had been perfect until a few hours ago when he was told something that might not even be true.  

"No!" He exclaimed weakly. "I just need some time." He added in a whisper. Eren nodded, moving back so Levi could hurry into the bathroom. 

He sat down on the floor beside the toilet, sweat pouring off of him and stomach turning. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this. Why was he so hot? 

Was he in heat? He hadn't hat a heat in a long time, did they feel like this? He couldn't remember... why couldn't he remember his Heat? 

He knew he had a heat; he had had two, his mother had died during his second one. Why couldn't he remember any other details of them? 

He racked his brain, looking for anything about them; he had been 14, where was he when it happened? Had he been at home? At school? 

 

 

> _"Dude, you don't look so good." Annie said as she, Reiner, and_ _Ymir sat down at the ca_ _feteria table beside him._  
> 
> _"You smell kind of strange too." Reiner said, his mouth full of fries_  
> 
> _"Just be_ _cause you're a_ _damn_ _alpha now does_ _no_ _t mean you can go_ _around_ _fucking_ _smelling people without their permission." Levi growled irritably._  
> 
> _"He's right though, you do smell kind of off.  You don't usually smell like anything." Ymir said._  
> 
> _Annie dropped her spoon, her eyes wide,_ _"Oh Fuck, you're presenting."_  

 

Annie, Reiner and Ymir coming to his mind, the clearest flash of memory he had gotten so far. He remembered them walking him to the nurse's office.  

Carla? He remembered Carla, why had she been there? Was she taking care of him because she was such close friends with Kuchel. 

 

He couldn't handle it anymore; the pounding in his head, the sweat on his skin, the dampness in his pants. He was going into Heat. He had to cool himself down, he had to stop it. He stripped off his clothes and climbed into the shower, turning the water on cold and sitting down under the spray, knees pressed to his chest as the freezing water beat against his hair and skin. 

 

He wasn't sure how long he was in there when there was knocking at the door and his name being called. He ignored it for a while until he heard the door open; Eren's distressed scent reaching him even through the barrier of water. 

He felt himself whimper, the scent of an Alpha so close to him during his heat, making his body react; He wanted nothing more than to surround himself in it, surround himself in Eren. He had enough sense to know that was not a good idea, not now. 

"Go away." He whined weakly, to the Alpha who had stopped abruptly in the doorway at Levi's words. "Please." Levi added desperately. 

"Annie! Connie! Help!" Eren shouted, his voice completely broken. "He's in heat." He choked as the two Omega's rushed to the bathroom. 

"Levi?" Annie's voice called softly as the shower curtain was pulled away and small gentle hands rubbed his back. 

"Hey man, you're okay." Connie said turning off the shower.  

A loud growl carried through the apartment, startling the three Omegas; the two shielding the heat stricken Omega from the potential danger. 

"Eren he is my cousin! Let me in! Levi!" Mikasa growled back, though unable to come any closer. "Levi! Are you okay?" She shouted, Levi felt himself whimper at the angry Alpha scents filling the air. 

"I got him." Connie called out, putting Levi's arms around his neck and carefully helping him out of the tub. Annie ran a soft towel over his hair and skin to dry him as much as possible before Connie put a hand behind his knees, lifting him and carrying him toward his bedroom. 

Levi opened his eyes a crack as they passed his friends; all staring at him with worried eyes, held back from getting too close by a quietly growling Eren, guarding the entrance to the hallway. 

 

"I don't know how this happened." Levi whimpered, holding on to Connie's neck tightly as Annie arranged his bed; moving pillows and blankets for a makeshift nest before Connie lay him down in it. "I don't have Heats." 

"Heat can be triggered by stress." Annie said, smoothing his hair off his forehead. "Did something happen? You've been acting strange all evening." She asked quietly. He could only nod as she hummed in understanding, shifting Levi into her arms and holding him tight. 

 

"Try to relax Levi." Connie said gently. "Reiner and I will go get you some supplies. You'll stay with him?" Connie asked Annie. Levi felt her nod, her cheek against his hair as she let off a soothing Omega scent. It wasn't as powerful or as effective as an Alpha's but it did help loosen the tension in Levi's muscles. 

 

 

 

"Levi! What happened? Are you okay?" Mikasa shouted from the doorway. "Tell Eren to let me in! I know I'm an Alpha, but I'm your cousin! I won't hurt you!" 

"Let her in." Levi whimpered, clutching on to Annie as a harsh cramp overtook him, her fingers running through his hair. Mikasa rushed in, kneeling floor beside the bed. Levi's eyes flickered from her to the doorway where Eren stood, holding on to the doorframe tightly as though straining to keep himself still; eyes wide and staring at Levi. 

Levi whined quietly moving his hips to cover his naked form from the Alpha's eyes, succeeding only in producing a small gush of slick and a whimper to leave him. 

He heard Mikasa growl, looking back at Eren before covering Levi's lower half with a blanket. "What did he do? Did he hurt you?" She asked, taking his hand in hers and letting her calming scent swirl around them. It helped, just like Annie's scent had, but it was wrong, it wasn't the Alpha scent he wanted, the one he needed. 

"No..." Levi whispered shaking his head, he didn't know if Eren had done anything. It didn't make sense to him, yet it also it made perfect sense, he wasn't sure what to think. 

"Do you want me to make him leave?" Mikasa asked. "Reiner can bring him to my place for a few days." She offered. 

"No!" Levi almost shouted, hearing movement by the doorway. Eren who had slumped down to the floor on his knees, leaning into the room, staring at Levi with his red puffy eyes. 

"Levi please. I just want to take care of you. I won't hurt you, I won't touch you if you don't want me to. Just please tell me what's wrong. What did I do?" Eren begged. 

"Because that worked so well last time." Mikasa snapped angrily. 

"L-last time?" Levi asked, trembling as his pain racked through his body, though he never got an answer as the front door banged open. 

 

"Alright, I got the stuff!" Connie called out, rushing towards the room, blocked by Eren standing and holding his arm across the frame with a low growl. 

"Back off." Reiner's voice growled back. "It's just him, I'm staying out here." He added, his voice understanding of the state Eren was in but also his first priority protecting his own mate.  

Connie slipped past the Alpha's, rushing over to the bed and unloading his bag. "I have some pain killers, a suppressant patch that is supposed to be good at numbing the symptoms during a heat, a slick protecting sheet." He explained. 

"Thank you.' Levi whispered, Connie just gave him a grin before turning to Mikasa. 

"Reiner got some stuff to make soup, can you help him make it?" He asked, obviously wanting the Alpha's out of the room.  

Mikasa gave Levi a protective look before nodding and heading out of the room, closing the door behind her to block Eren from seeing inside without her supervision. 

"Can you stand for a minute while I put the sheet on? Slick is hell to get out of your mattress." Annie asked, pressing the patch on Levi's arm as he swallowed the pills that Connie gave him. He nodded moving to get up, taking Connie's offered hand. 

He blushed as his erection bobbed in the movement and slick ran down his inner thighs as Connie put an arm around him to keep him steady while Annie began stripping the bed. 

"Don’t worry about it, we've all been there." He smiled reassuringly. 

"I don't remember my heats. Any of them." Levi whispered. 

"That's probably because  _he_  was a big part of all of them." Annie said as she made the bed quickly. 

"Eren?" Levi asked quietly, Annie's eyes widening in shock. 

"That's something you need to speak to him about that." Annie said gently, as she composed herself and helped Connie put Levi back to the bed. 

"So I got you a couple more things, I didn't think you'd want the others to see." Connie said quietly, reaching into the bag. "Birth control for... just in case and this." He said pulling out a vibrating toy, Levi's face burning at the sight of it. 

"I know it's embarrassing but believe me, it helps when you're going through a Heat alone." Connie smiled. 

"Thank you." Levi whispered, looking at the both of them, his mind already feeling a little clearer as the medicine in the patch seeped into his skin. 

"You're going to be okay." Annie smiled. 

 

Levi managed to fall asleep as the painkillers kicked in, easing the progressing cramps in his stomach and pelvis; Annie and Connie staying until he lost consciousness. 

He woke up what must have been hours later, alone in his room, a sheen of sweat covering his skin. He whimpered in the quiet darkness, his stomach twisting in unsated arousal; the pills only doing so much to ease it.  

"Levi? Can I come in?" Eren whispered from the doorway, his scent wafting into the room, swirling around Levi, soothing and calming his whines. 

"Mikasa and Annie are asleep in the living room, they'll be here in an instant if you call for them, but I won't come in without your permission." Eren whispered from the doorway.  

"O-okay." Levi whispered, curling up as the Alpha entered the room slowly. 

"I brought you some more pillows and blankets. From my bed... if you don't mind my scent." He said shyly. 

"Thank you." Levi said as Eren moved closer, laying the blankets around Levi and the pillows behind him.  

"Take these okay." Eren said, taking a couple painkillers out of the bottle and giving Levi a bottle of cold water. Levi nodded, taking them before laying back down. 

"I'll leave you alone." Eren said quietly. "I'm just outside the door if you need me." He added, his voice trembling slightly. Levi watched him go, unable to say anything as Eren closed the door and slid down it to the floor on the other side. 

 

Eren's scent surrounded Levi, coming off the pillows in waves. The familiar scent calming him, easing his pain and his mind. The only scent he ever wanted surrounding him. 

He thought of the Alpha on the other side of the door; protecting him, guarding him. Even from himself. 

Levi wanted him, his body wanted him, wanted to call out to his Alpha; have his Alpha's arms around him, feel his lips on his skin, feel his body on him, around him, inside of him. 

He whimpered, fingers searching his nest until they grasped the small vibrator Connie had brought to him, staring at it for a moment as his body trembled, leaking and aching to be filled.  

He whined as it entered him, his mind filled with Eren. 

 

>  
> 
>  
> 
> _Levi wrapped his legs around Eren's waist, holding them together tightly as Eren was fully seated inside him, their lips moving together as though they were made for nothing else. He felt so full, Eren was everywhere; on to_ _p of him, around him, inside of him, there was nowhere left untouched_  
> 
> _Levi saw stars, colorful bursts behind his eyelids as he closed his eyes, orgasm washing over him as Eren pounded into his prostate relentlessly. But he wasn't finished; his body hadn't had enough yet, he wanted more of Eren, all of him._  
> 
> _As though_ _Eren_ _could sense exactly what he wanted, what his body craved, the Alpha lifted him up, holding him close as their chests pressed together, mouths moved desperately against each other and Eren reached impossibly deeper into Levi's body._  

 

 

Levi felt his orgasm approaching as he moved the toy inside of him, images of Eren still floating before his eyes. That couldn't have been his imagination, how could he imagine something so vivid when he had never knowingly experienced such a thing before.  

It was so real, he couldn't think straight. He needed more, more than the toy he moved inside himself. 

"E-eren." He whined. "I... need you..."  

The door opened instantly, the Alpha rushing to his side, hand smoothing down his hair and scent surround him, calming with a hint of arousal. 

"Please." Levi begged, thrusting his hips into the air. 

"I can't." Eren whispered. "Not like this" 

"L-lay with me then?" Levi pleaded. Eren leaned over, kissing his forehead before standing up and removing only his jeans before climbing into Levi's nest beside him.  

Levi curled into the Alpha's chest, completely intoxicated by his scent and grinding against him. "Please... I... can't." He whimpered, moving the toy inside him, all modesty gone in the haze of his heat; need overtaking his bashfulness. 

Eren growled, pinning Levi down against the pillows and capturing his lips, his hand moving down Levi's body until his fingers grasped the handle of the toy. Levi cried out, arms circling Eren's neck tightly as the Alpha began pumping it firmly, mouth latching onto Levi's neck and sucking on the swollen scent gland. 

Levi came with a loud cry, clutching onto Eren tightly as he spilled over the Alpha's leg and clothing. It wasn't enough, his body needed more; needed his Alpha's knot. But with Eren so close to him, his scent all he could perceive, it was close enough for now. 

He felt his body turn to mush, Eren moving them so he was curled into the Alpha's side, an arm for his pillow; slowly drifting to sleep with whispers of praise and beauty from his Alpha in his ear. 

 

 

 

>  
> 
> _"You don’t have an Alpha, what makes you think I'll have one?" Levi asked and Kuchel laughed lightly._  
> 
> _"Because you are lucky and your Alpha has been sitting outside your door for the last 4 hours."_  
> 
>  

 

 

 

>  
> 
> _"Happy almost Birthday Levi."_ _Eren_ _said leaning over and kissing Levi's cheek. Levi's eyes widened and face flushed._  
> 
> _"T-thanks." Levi stammered, looking into_ _Eren's_ _smiling face and shining eyes before he and his mother went back down to their apartment._  
> 
>  

 

 

 

 

>  
> 
> _"Mom said it was normal. When I'm a_ _grown up_ _Alpha and you're in heat that's how I'll take care of you." Eren said, both boys blushing at the thought._  
> 
> _"You're still convinced_ _you're  going_ _to be an Alpha huh?" Levi asked_  
> 
> _"I have to be. You're an Omega now. Don’t you still want me to be your Alpha?"_ _Eren_ _asked_  
> 
> _"It wouldn’t matter to me if you weren't an Alpha, I'd still want to be with you."_ _H_ _e_ _said quietly._ _Eren's_ _face broke into one of his_ _radiant_ _smiles and he scooted closer to Levi._  
> 
>  

 

 

 

>  
> 
> _"I really like you Levi." He said_ _looking into Levi's eyes._  
> 
> _"I like you too." Levi whispered shyly, looking_ _back into Eren's_ _._ _Eren's_ _smiled waivered_ _slightly_ _as his face turned serious and nervous yet determined_ _all at once_ _. He leaned in slowly and pressed his lips softly against Levi's._  
> 
>  

 

 

 

 

>  
> 
> _"I_ _think you're beautiful and you smell really nice." Eren said, nosing at the scent gland on Levi's neck._  
> 
> _"I wish I was a real Alpha, then I could take care of you properly." He added._  
> 
> _"Eren you're_ _probably not_ _going to present until you're 14, I'll only be 16. I don_ _'t think we should mate until we're at least both out of_ _high school_ _." Levi said and Eren deflated._  
> 
> _"Really? But that's so long from now." He whined, Levi raised a brow._  
> 
> _"You're not helping your case." He said._  
> 
> _"I just want to help y_ _ou." Levi said quietly._  
> 
> _"Yeah well, I don’t want to get pregnant while I'm still in_ _high school_ _." Levi said and watched Eren's go from_ _thoughtful to giddy as a big smile stretched across his face._  
> 
> _"No!" Levi growled before he could say anything._  
> 
> _"I know I know. After high school. But_ _maybe.._ _When we're_ _grown_ _ups_ _..._  
> 
>  

 

 

 

 

>  
> 
> _"Will I ever see you again?" Eren pulled away only far enough to look at Levi's face._  
> 
> _"I hope so." Levi said._  
> 
> _"I love you Levi." Eren whispered, beautiful eyes shimmering in sadness._  
> 
> _"I love you too." Levi whispered._  
> 
>  

 

 

 

Levi opened his eyes slowly, the sun shining in through his window. His body was still unnaturally warm, skin still slicked with sweat, and aches still ravaging his muscles. But the warm body beside him and the calming scent surrounding him, he was too comfortable to mind. 

He looked up into the stirring face of the Alpha beside him as the dreams he had just experienced ran through his mind, for once clear as day. 

He remembered.  

Not everything, barely bits and pieces, but enough to know there was some truth to Mina's words. He watched as Eren opened his beautiful green eyes, a smile spreading over his lips at the sight of the Omega.  

Levi stared into his eyes, the eyes that had haunted his thoughts since he was a small child. 

 

"It was you..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to everyone who didn't notice my horrendous spelling mistakes in earlier chapters. Or at least didn't point them out!  
> They weren't so much spelled wrong as they were the wrong word entirely.  
> In those flashbacks I had a two for a too, know for knot, and one I can't remember now but it made absolutely no sense.  
> I may have to edit my chapters a bit better. Oops! 
> 
> I hope you liked it! 
> 
> <3


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I'd be able to post today.   
> But then the magic writing thing where you just spit out the last 2000 words like nothing happened. (Seriously, I'm sitting here with hair dye in my hair I should have rinsed out like 45 minutes ago but I was engrossed with this) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!  
> I did not proofread (had a hard enough time with this chapter I couldn't go back) so if you see any errors you can let me know.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Eren stared at Levi, his eyes wide and his mouth open as though there were a million thoughts running through his mind yet he didn't know what to say.

"You're the Alpha." Levi whispered, sitting up painfully and wrapping a sheet around himself. His heat was in a lull for the time being but it was nowhere near finished; his body was still aching, still burning, still barely under his control.

"Levi... I..." Eren began, sitting up, eyes focusing on Levi, swirling with emotion.

"The truth Eren. Please." Levi said, his voice quiet but firm, the memories of his dreams running through his mind.

His head was a mess; between the haze of his heat and the disorientation he felt waking up with his mind full of new images, he felt dizzy, sick. He didn't remember everything, he didn't understand everything he did, but he knew without a doubt that the little boy he had been dreaming about since he woke up three months ago was Eren.

He knew he had fallen in love with him as a small child, but he also knew that for months Eren had been pretending like everything was fine; like he wasn't the one who Levi had loved so deeply it had nearly killed him, like he hadn't been the one to make Levi feel as though his love was one sided.

"It’s me." Eren nodded, his eyes watering as he looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry Levi. I'm so sorry."

"All this time." Levi whispered, his lip trembling. "You were there when I woke up... you were so kind to me, so patient... You helped me. You helped me with so many things... then then it was all because of you in the first place." He said, tears running down his cheeks.

"I know." Eren sobbed. "I fucked up. I treated you so terribly. I'm the reason this happened to you." He said, looking up into Levi's eyes.

"W-what did you do? I still don't remember." Levi whispered, hugging his knees tightly as his insides began tightening, skin heating up once more as a wave of his Heat was overtaking him.

Eren reached out for him but Levi moved away from him, hissing quietly in the pain it caused. Eren's hand fell to the bed, his eyes filled with hurt.

"I made you believe I didn't love you." He whispered. "I thought you had moved on. I thought I had pushed too hard when I was a child and you didn't feel for me what I thought you did, I thought you didn't love me so I convinced myself to stay with Mina. When I figured out that I might have a chance with you it was too late, I had fucked everything up already by then." He explained sadly.

"T-that was the misunderstanding?" Levi asked, his body trembling and burning as the cramps rippled through his abdomen.

"Levi, please lay down. You're hurting." Eren pleaded, releasing a soothing scent in attempt to calm the Omega, though it was laced with sadness and distress it did help a little.

"No, I want to know!" Levi demanded.

"Yes, that was the misunderstanding. I didn't tell you I loved you. I didn't talk to you about my feelings. I didn't ask you about yours. If I had just talked to you, if I hadn't been so afraid of our rejection. We could have avoided all of this." Eren cried, Levi's heart aching at the sight of the broken Alpha.

"I-I didn't say anything either." He whispered.

"Because I had a girlfriend. I told you that I was happy with her. I guess I did a good job of convincing you of the lie." He laughed bitterly. "I chose her over you more than once, against my better judgement. Please forgive me." He begged, jumping as Levi doubled over with a gasp. He scrambled for the box on the night table, pulling out a new patch and fumbling with the packaging before carefully patting it on the skin Levi allowed him to reveal.

Levi let Eren push him back gently onto a pillow while the wave hit him, his body trembling and leaking as it burned and ached for the Alpha that was right there before him.

"How can you stand to be near me like this and not react in the slightest?" Levi asked through labored breath.

"Because I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you. Not again..." Eren said, running his fingers through Levi's damp hair.

"Have you ever told me that before? Since we were children?" Levi whispered, looking up into Eren's eyes as the Alpha smiled sadly and nodded.

"I did but I was too late. You were already in the hospital, sick and almost dying because of me." Eren said. "We confessed our love for each other, you forgave me, we spent one happy day together before you forgot me." Eren explained, tears falling from his eyes as he smiled at the Omega.

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered and Eren leaned forward, cupping Levi's cheek.

"You did nothing wrong! You are here, you're alive, you're healthy. That's all I need." Eren assured as Levi clutched his pillow with a whine, the patch not working as well as it should have. "Here, take these. Are you hungry?" Eren asked, giving Levi the bottle of water and some of his painkillers. Levi shook his head as he downed the water and pills.

"Can I hold you?" Eren whispered.

"I... I don't know." Levi said, looking into Eren's eyes nervously as the Alpha drew his hand away with a sad nod. 

It was too much to process, all the information he had just been given. Eren being his Alpha; the bond they shared, the pull he felt towards him, all making sense now, yet confusing him completely.

How could he love someone so deeply yet not remember him, have him be so close all this time but have no idea who he was.

"How could you be with me all this time and not tell me?" Levi whispered, choking on a sob. "You listened me go on about him, how I forgot everyone because of him, forgot important parts of my life. You comforted me, told me it was okay, told me to forget him. But you were him all along." Levi cried softly.

"I'm so so sorry." Eren whispered.

"Why? Why wouldn't you tell me?" Levi asked.

"I was afraid you would hate me..." Eren sobbed.

Hate him? Levi could never hate him. He loved him! Or at least he used to. But he couldn't deny the pull he had been feeling for the other man these past few months, especially since they had begun dating. There was no doubt that everything felt right when he was with Eren, that the empty feeling in his heart was a little less pronounced when they were together.

"Eren!" Mikasa shouted from the doorway. "Get away from my cousin." She growled.

"Levi? Are you okay?" Annie asked, rushing into the room, glaring at Eren bravely as she pulled Levi into her arms and smoothing down his sweaty hair. He whined quietly and curled into her arms; with so much going on in his mind right now, it was nice to be comforted by the other Omega.

"Eren, do not make me repeat myself. If you do not move away from him now I will move you myself." Mikasa said, unmoving from the doorway but seething as she stared at the other Alpha, dominance pouring into the air from her scent.

"I'm not hurting him." Eren said firmly, there was a brokenness in his voice but his Alpha would not back down. "I would never touch him without permission." 

"The cum on your clothes tells me different." Mikasa said, her voice dangerous. "I thought I could trust you Eren. I thought you just wanted to protect him, but the minute his Heat clouded his judgement you took advantage of him!" 

Levi's eyes went wide as he watched Eren's face fall; the Alpha's eyes moving from Mikasa to his soiled boxers and then to Levi. Guilt washing over his face as he stared into Levi's eyes before bowing his head and moving off of the bed, away from Levi. 

Levi's heart ached as he watched his Alpha go, submit to the other through his belief that he had harmed his own Omega.

"I'm sorry Levi. I try so hard to protect you but I always end up hurting you." Eren whispered as he turned toward him in the doorway. "I won't hurt you anymore. If you want me to go I'll go." He said sadly, tears streaming down his cheeks as Mikasa stepped between him and the room protectively. 

Levi could hear his quiet sobs and stifled coughing from the hallway. He couldn't stand for this, his Alpha couldn't leave him; not now, not ever.

"Levi! You need to lay down!" Annie exclaimed as Levi pushed himself away from her.

"We're trying to help you Levi, you're not thinking clearly. You didn't want him yesterday when this started, it's just the Heat making you think you do." Mikasa said moving toward him.

"No. It's not." Levi said, gritting his teeth as he stumbled out of bed, his body screaming as cramped wracked through his abdomen and slick ran down his legs; he didn't care, not that he could barely walk or that he was completely bare as he rushed through the room, he needed his Alpha. 

Eren hadn't gotten far, Levi found him in the hallway, slumped down to the floor against the wall with his face in his hands. He looked up with wide shining eyes as Levi came toward him, arms circling around him as he fell into the Alpha's lap.

"Don't leave me." Levi whispered, cupping Eren's face in his hands and staring into his eyes. "I'm confused, I'm angry, I can't think properly. I'm mad at you but that doesn't mean I don't love you." He said, watching Eren's lips turn up into the smallest smile as he pulling Levi into his chest.

"I'll never leave you. As long as you want me." Eren whispered as Levi tucked his head under Eren's chin, breath heavy as his body felt like fire. Eren shifted Levi in his arms, standing up and carrying him back to his bed.

"Levi?" Mikasa asked from the doorway, Annie standing beside her with a soft smile on her face.

"He won't hurt me. Please leave, I’ll be safe with him." Levi pleaded to his cousin.

"It's true. He will be fine with Eren." Annie assured, though Mikasa didn't seem to believe either of them as she stared at Levi with conflicted eyes.

"You will call me if you need me." She demanded. "And if you do anything to him I will cut your dick off." She threatened angrily.

"I'd let you." Eren said as he held Levi close, flooding him with his scent, relaxing him as much as possible.

"Come on." Annie said, pulling Mikasa away. "Please don't be too hard on him Levi. You two are meant for each other and sometimes love makes you do stupid things." She said to Levi with a soft smile before leaving.

Eren curled around Levi, his scent and the pressure of his body against him helping to soothe the ache inside of him. 

"I'll never hurt you again Levi. I'll tell you everything, whatever you want." Eren whispered in his ear.

"Not now." Levi said quietly, turning in the Alpha's arms to look up into his eyes, the overpowering scent making him sleepy. "I'm still upset with you but I don't want to talk anymore. It's too hard to think like this. Can... can you just hold me... help me through... I know it's selfish--" Levi asked, Eren cutting him off with the press of lips to his forehead.

"It's not." He whispered. "Whatever you need. I'm here." Eren assured. Levi nodded, pulling himself into the larger man as his eyes drifted closed.

He dreamed of Eren. 

Meeting Eren for the first time, falling in love with him in the beginning. He was seeing it play out but while his heart knew they were his memories, his head still felt like he was watching someone else's life. 

He wanted to remember, remember the feeling of kissing Eren for the first time at 14 years old, remember the hurt of leaving him, the abandonment he knew he felt. He wanted to remember seeing Eren again for the first time in nine years, he wanted to  _remember_ not just know that it happened.

Levi looked up at the Alpha, sleeping comfortably in his nest, arms secure around Levi's back. His cramps had passed momentarily, at least enough for him to lay quietly beside Eren, cuddled into his side and chin resting on his chest as he watched him breathe slowly.

"Hi." Eren smiled as he opened his eyes. "How are you feeling?" He asked, shifting to his side for a better look.

"Calm. Mostly." Levi said, still staring into Eren's eyes. "You're beautiful." He said suddenly. Eren's eyes widened before a blush crossed his nose.

"That's quite a compliment coming from you." He smiled.

"I've dreamed about your eyes." Levi whispered. "Ever since I woke up. I didn't know what I was dreaming at the time but your eyes have always been there. I feel like I've been dreaming of them all my life." He continued.

Eren pushed him down against the pillows gently and leaned over him, running fingers through his hair. "You told me before your surgery that you thought of me every day while we were apart and I can promise you I did the same." He said, running his fingers over the soft skin of Levi's face.

"Tell me about when we met." Levi asked, closing his eyes and curling into Eren;s chest, breathing in his scent.

"When I was six years old my Mom helped an Omega lady get a job and move into the basement apartment of our house. When we went downstairs to welcome her I met the most beautiful boy I had ever seen and I knew in that moment that I couldn't live without him." Eren began quietly.

Levi listen as Eren told him stories of their childhood together, smiling and laughing along with the Alpha until the cramps came back. Eren would help him with his pain and suppressant medication schedule, giving him food and water, giving off his comforting scent, and using his fingers when Levi became a desperate mess.

His heat lasted a few more days, Eren managing to tell Levi almost everything while he was coherent enough to listen. Levi felt close to him, closer than he had ever felt to anyone, at least in his memory.

His heat had finally broken; he woke up for the first time in days without cramps and fire raging in his body. He breathed a sigh of relief and stretched his sore muscles, accidentally waking the Alpha beside him.

"Good morning." Eren smiled. "Feeling better?" He asked.

"I feel disgusting. I need a shower." Levi groaned, looking up at Eren with a small smile. 

"I think you smell amazing." Eren said, leaning over Levi and burying his nose in his neck.

"You're disgusting." Levi rolled his eyes but felt himself hum in pleasure at the feel of Eren's lips on his skin, it almost felt even better now that he wasn't crazed by his Heat.

"Why don't I run you a bath?" Eren laughed. "I'll put in some epsom salt and that gentle bubble bath you like, I'll even bring you some tea." He continued with a grin.

"Oh my god, I would love you forever." Levi moaned at the thought of it.

"Well if that's all it takes." Eren chuckled, though there was a hint of sadness in the sound.

Levi looked up at Eren, regretting his carefree words, and by the look of the conflicting emotions in his eyes Eren knew he did as well. 

It’s not that he didn't love Eren; his love for the younger man had been growing steadily since they had begun spending time together, it just wasn't the love the Alpha had been looking for. 

He was too confused to think about his love, what he felt and what he forgot. Now that his Heat had lifted he was thinking more clearly and it was making everything as muddled as ever.

He wasn't angry anymore. He had felt his anger toward the Alpha ebbing away slowly throughout their time together.; how could he stay angry at the Alpha who had taken care of him so well during his Heat. 

He had been so patient, kind, and controlled as Levi whined and withered beside him, rubbed against him without shame and spilled over him with cries of unsated pleasure. His body had wanted the Alpha's knot, had begged for it, the arousal in Eren's scent told him he wanted nothing more than to give it to him, but Eren remained clothed and coherent; touching Levi only in ways that would help him, nothing more.

No matter how well Eren had been treating him, how he had always treated him, Levi still couldn't understand why he would keep this from him. If they had confessed to each other as Eren said then he knew Levi had loved him. He understood that Eren was afraid Levi would be upset with him; he was upset with him! But he was sure if he had told him in the beginning he would have understood, it would have been difficult but he would have believed him, would have worked with him, built their relationship sooner.

Instead Eren had kept everything from him, pretending that he wasn't the Alpha he forgot, pretending he didn't have the answers Levi wanted or the closure he needed.

"Eren... I..." Levi began. He was angry but he also wasn't; he was more confused and hurt than anything else, but he wasn't sure what to do, where to even start.

"Shhh, don't. It's fine." Eren said, running a finger over the side of Levi's face.

"I-it's not that I don't...I just... I just need some time." Levi whispered.

"I know." Eren smiled sadly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'll give you whatever you want, anything you need; time, space, whatever will bring you back to me."

"Thank you." Levi whispered.

"I'll go get your bath ready." Eren said with a smile, leaning in to kiss Levi's forehead before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

Eren stayed true to his word, he didn't push Levi or make him feel pressured. 

He helped him recover from his Heat; cleaning up the bedroom and changing the sheets while Levi had been in the bath, he cooked and ensure Levi ate properly over the next few days, did the laundry, cleaned the apartment. Kept everything the way Levi liked it while he was too weak to do it himself.

Levi appreciated it, Eren was being so kind and caring while still keeping his distance that Levi felt like crying. 

Part of him wanted to jump into the Alpha's arms, tell him everything was okay, never let go and live happily ever after. 

The other part of him was absolutely terrified. He knew Eren loved him, he knew that he loved Eren back, but the extent of the love that Eren wanted from him... He wasn't there yet.

Had had only met Eren a few months ago. The Levi that had falling in love with Eren as a child, who Eren had been in love with all this time, he wasn't there.

Levi knew the memories were real but that didn't mean they felt real to him.

He felt like he was broken. More now than ever before.

He wanted to remember everything, the stories Eren had told him, the things that had happened. 

He wanted to love Eren so much that he forgot about everything the younger man had been keeping from him. Wanted to forget how much it hurt to know that he had lead Levi on all this time, refused to tell him what he begged to know. 

Not only had Eren known everything, but he was everything. He was the man that Levi had wanted to know of, the one that left his heart with the gaping hole and his mind incomplete.

He wanted to forgive him. He knew Eren had his reasons for doing what he did and if he was going to forgive everyone else for keeping this from him he'd have to forgive Eren too. 

But forgiving Eren would make everything okay, and that would bring him back to the strength of his love for the Alpha. At least if he held on to the hurt of what Eren had done then he wouldn't have to face his inability to be who Eren needed.

He needed to hold on to it. Needed more time to think things through. 

Needed to talk to someone who wasn't Eren.

He saw the hurt in Eren's eyes when he told him about staying with Erwin and Mike for a couple days. He hated causing him pain but he needed to sort himself out before he could do anything for the Alpha.

"I'll see you in a couple days." Levi said quietly as Eren pulled the car into Erwin's driveway, insisting on driving him over. 

"Okay." Eren said with a sad smile, Levi stared into his eyes for a moment, unable to move.

"I'm coming back." Levi whispered, Eren letting out a soft chuckle.

"I know." He nodded, though there was an undeniable look of relief on his face. "Call me if you need me." He smiled as Levi gave him a nod and climbed out of the car and headed into the house.

Erwin and Mike were happy to see him, they had been worried about him during his Heat but had stayed away by Levi's request, giving him space where he needed.

He always liked being with the two Alpha's, everything was so calm and pleasant. Even with everything going through his mind he could relax and feel at home with his old roommates.

They spent the afternoon together, talking about plans for the new baby, cooking dinner and having a nice meal together.

"So how are you?" Erwin asked as they sat together drinking wine in the living room, Levi only shrugged to answer.

"You can tell me. I know Heat must be rough on you, I really think you should see a Doctor, after not having any most of your life and then two in six months." Erwin said, concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah maybe I should." Levi nodded.

"How was Eren? He didn't hurt you at all did he?" Erwin asked.

"No. Of course not!" Levi said firmly. "He was nothing but kind and gently. We didn't have sex." He whispered the last part, not meeting Erwin's eyes.

"I didn't think he would hurt you. I know how much he cares for you." Erwin smiled softly.

"Why didn't you tell me? That he was my Alpha." Levi asked quietly, looking up at him; Erwin's eyes looking surprised and guilty as he remained quiet, looking anywhere but in Levi's eyes.

"All of you. Everyone I love. You all knew and no one told me." Levi whispered.

"I'm sorry Levi. Eren thought it was best you didn't know. He said he wanted to do it himself, we could only trust him." Erwin said sadly.

"I'm not mad at you." Levi said. "I'm not mad at Eren either. I just don't... I don’t know what to think." 

"I can't even imagine what you must be feeling but you know you can talk to me about anything." Erwin assured.

"I barely know where to start... I remember some things. I know he's my Alpha, the one I forgot, but at the same time the memories don't feel real. They don't feel like my own." Levi explained.

"How do you feel about the memories?" Erwin asked.

"Hurt." Levi said quietly, Erwin placed a hand on Levi's leg.

"I hate that we kept it from you. I wanted to tell you, but Eren wanted to wait until the right time." He said.

"When would that be? We're already dating, would a good time be when we've been married for 10 years?" Levi laughed bitterly.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me much, but I think he wanted you to fall in love with him on your own. Not because you thought you had to."

"Well he succeeded." Levi mumbled.

"Did he? Levi, that's great!" Erwin smiled.

"No it's not!" Levi exclaimed, tears filling his eyes. "I loved Eren so much I nearly died over it! But I don't remember that, all I remember is waking up in the hospital to the most beautiful boy I have ever seen and not having any idea who he was or how I knew him! Yet he loves me to much he's given himself the same sickness that caused all this in the first place!" He ranted, not even realizing the rears pouring down his face.

Erwin pulled him into a hug. "It's okay Levi. I'm sure Eren is willing to take it step by step." He said, petting Levi's hair and rocking the quietly sobbing Omega.

"That's not fair to him! How can I be with him when he deserves so much more than I can give him? Even now, he's giving me the space I need to think things through. He thinks I'm angry with him, he's hurting and I don't know how to help him. I'm terrified! What if I'm not enough for him?" Levi cried.

"Levi, you are more than enough for anyone! No matter the situation or circumstances. You are an amazing person and Eren is lucky to have you in his life! I don't know him that well, I kept my distance the last year because I knew he was hurting you. I didn't realize until later that he was hurting too and he blames himself for what's happened to you. I think he's just happy that you're alive and you're even considering having a relationship with him." Erwin explained.

"Why did we have to hurt each other so much? What if we keep doing it?" Levi whispered.

"Because you wouldn't talk to each other!!" Erwin shouted with a chuckle. "You were both so afraid that the other had moved on that you wouldn't tell each other that you were both completely in love with one another. I think you've learned your lesson on miscommunication. Twice! I don't think you'll be doing it again." He explained.

"You're right." Levi nodded.

"Of course I am." Erwin grinned.

"But what if I'm not enough, what if I'll never be the person he fell in love with?" Levi repeated his biggest fear of their relationship.

"You just take it a day at a time. Start at the beginning. This is a fresh relationship for you, treat it as one. Build it together, don't let him rush you or pressure you. But I promise you, you will be enough." Erwin assured.

"He won't pressure me." Levi stated with a small smile as the thought fondly of their time together. "We spent nearly a week together during my Heat and he kept his clothes on the entire time. He helped me when I needed it but asked for nothing in return. He knew I wasn't ready even when my body was begging for him." Levi said, blushing at giving such intimate details, even to Erwin who never made him feel anything but comfortable.

"He sounds like a great Alpha. As great as my own even." Erwin smiled. "When I learned you were in Heat and Eren was with you I wasn't worried, at least not as worried as I could have been. I saw how protective he was last time and how upset over what happened that I knew you would be safe with him." He explained.

Levi nodded with a small smile; Eren was very protective over him, even when Levi didn't want to see him Eren guarded his door, refusing to let anyone in that posed a risk of hurting him. 

His mind took him to 10 years ago when he endured his first Heat and the little boy who hadn't even presented yet sat outside his bedroom floor for the entire week, guarding Levi from anyone who tried to enter; even his own mother. 

He chuckled fondly at the memory before stopping abruptly, looking up at Erwin with wide eyes.

"I remembered something!" He said. 

"What is it?" Erwin asked.

"My first Heat. How Eren guarded the door. I saw it the other day but this time I  _felt_  it." Levi explained.

"That's wonderful Levi. Maybe your mind is healing, maybe you will get your memories back." Erwin smiled happily.

"Had it ever happened before?" Levi asked hopefully.

"I don't think so, but that doesn't mean it can't! How many cases of Hanahaki have them falling in love all over again with their feelings returned?" Erwin pointed out.

"Eren said we confessed to each other the day before." Levi added quietly.

"You did. He spent the entire day with you in your bed before the surgery. He didn't leave the hospital once until you were released. Maybe the short time of love you felt made a difference." Erwin suggested, Levi nodding thoughtfully.

"He did that door thing the last time you were in Heat." Erwin said with a smile. "Mike and I came back from our trip and the house smelled of Heat, Rut, distress, it was terrible, we thought the worst happened to you. Eren was sitting on the floor against your door, obviously still in Rut but just guarding. He growled at us and tried to fight us from getting near you. Obviously, that wasn't happening but he put up a good fight." He chuckled at the memory.

"Right... he's the Alpha I shared a Heat with. I didn't actually out that together..." Levi said, feeling kind of stupid at the lapse.

"You've had a lot on you mind." Erwin smiled sympathetically.

"Yeah, well at least this time we didn't do everything. I don't have to worry about getting Pr---" Levi stopped, his eyes widening in horror.

How could he forget? The baby... the one he lost. The thing that had hurt him the most about the entire situation. He hadn't even considered linking Eren to it, even after knowing it was him; his mind just hadn't let him.

Oh god. Eren had lost two babies in such a short time; the one that was never really his and the one that was.

He told Levi that he didn't blame him, even before Levi knew he had been talking about himself, but how could he not? 

"Levi? What's wrong?" Erwin asked, setting his wine glass on the table and leaning towards the younger man.

"I-I didn't put it together..." Levi whispered. "I have to go home. Now!" He said, jumping up.

"Wait! Let me call Mike, his poker game isn't that far away and neither of us are sober enough to drive anywhere!" Erwin said, grabbing his phone.

"No, I'll get a cab. I have to see him now!" Levi said, pacing back and forth, dialling the taxi number before fumbling with his shoes.

He didn't even hear what Erwin said while he waited for the cab to pull up; too lost in his thoughts of what he would say to Eren. 

What could he say? 'I'm sorry'? Would that even be enough?

He jumped in the cab, giving directions and sitting anxiously in the back as it drove him into the city. He barely remembered tossing the money at the driver before he was racing up the stairs to his apartment.

He didn't care that the doctors advised him against strenuous activity, he didn't care that it hurt to breath, or that he was covered in sweat when he reached the top. All that mattered was that Eren was behind that door and he needed to see him.

"Levi?" Eren called, rushing out of his bedroom as Levi stumbled into the apartment, clutching the wall as he gasped for breath. "What happened? What's wrong? Are you okay?" The Alpha asked, hurrying towards him.

Levi shook his head, still breathing heavy and unable to speak. He felt Eren lift him into his arms and carry him through the apartment and sitting down on his bed, Levi still in his arms.

"Tell me." Eren pleaded softly.

"It was your baby." Levi whispered, looking up into Eren's eyes, heart aching in his chest as Eren's face dropped and he nodded sadly.

"It was." He said quietly.

"I'm so sorry." Levi said, the tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry I lost it, I'm sorry I forgot, I'm... sorry." He sobbed into Eren's shoulder.

"Hey, no. Levi stop." Eren said, tilting Levi's chin up to look him in the eye. "I told you before and I will tell you every time. It was not your fault, you are not to blame. I am not upset with you."

"But I was weak." Levi whispered.

"You were sick. You were sick because of me. If anyone is at fault it's me." Eren said and Levi shook his head violently.

"No you're not!" He insisted.

"Then let's agree it's no one's fault. These things happen. They're terrible and devastating but we're not the first to lose a baby and won't be the last." Eren assured as Levi laid his head against his chest, willing the tears to stop.

"I didn't even realize." He whispered. "I knew you were the Alpha and I knew I shared my Heat with the Alpha, but I just didn't connect it until now. Why didn't you tell me?" He asked softly.

"I didn't want to upset you again. I'm sorry. I should have." Eren said, holding Levi tightly in his arms.

"I understand." Levi whispered, looking back up into the Alpha's sad eyes. "I think I understand why you didn't tell me the rest at first either." He added.

"I couldn't handle you hating me." Eren whispered.

"I could never hate you." Levi insisted.

"I know. I should have held on to that. I knew you loved me before and I promised to make you love me again. But I also didn't want you to feel obligated to love me. I wanted you to do it on your own... though I don't think I'm as suave as I was when I was six." He said with a chuckle.

"I don't know. You should give yourself some credit, you kept your promise." Levi smiled shyly, watching as Eren's eyes lit up.

"R-really? You're not still thinking about it?" He asked hopefully.

"I was never thinking about if I loved you or not. I was terrified that I didn't love you enough!" Levi said.

"I'll take whatever you are willing to give me." Eren smiled softly.

"But what if I can never love you like I did? I loved you so much I nearly died, I refused to get treatment because I couldn't bear to forget you, but now I barely know you. I have three months with you and some memories that hardly feel like my own." Levi explained in an almost panic, feeling Eren's scent swirling around them to soothe and relax him.

"You're wonderful. I've felt this weird connection with you ever since I woke up. I fell in love with you easily, even when I was afraid of letting myself love again. But it's not fair to be with you when I can never give you what I could before, I can never love as strongly as I did before. What if it's not enough." He said, looking up with tears in his eyes.

"Levi, who are you in competition with? Yourself? I promise you'll win." Eren smiled down at him. "You are enough. You're more than enough. I consider myself the luckiest man in the world just to hold you in my arms." He said, Levi looked away shyly.

"I believe we have a bond. We talked about it before your surgery and you thought so too. We fell in love as small children and it only grew. We were separated for nearly a decade and it never faltered. You've had a heat for the first time in years when you were around me and you got pregnant with my child when the Doctors said you never could." Eren explained, running his fingers through the short hairs on Levi's neck.

"Maybe we're soulmates." Levi whispered.

"I think so. I think we're meant to be together. Everything that has happened to us and we still manage to be together; I don't think it can be anything else." Eren said, kissing the top of Levi's head.

"Maybe one day our bond will bring all of my memories back." Levi said quietly.

"It's already brought some, I think it's likely it will bring more. But even if it doesn't, I love you no matter what." Eren assured as Levi wrapped his arms around Eren's neck and pressed their lips together softly.

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a better cliffhanger than the last chapter wasn't it??
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter seems kind of final doesn't it? It's not the last one, but I can't see there being more than one left...
> 
> Wow... that's kind of sad but also a relief.  
> My entire soul is in this thing so please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> I'm the worst I know.  
> Things have been crazy, I've been so busy and I had a hard time figuring out where this chapter was going.  
> I'm good at angst and emotionally traumatizing you, I'm not so good at fluff...
> 
> But to make up for it this chapter has fluff and smut! Fluffy smut even! It might be absolutely terrible but hopefully you enjoy it!

Levi wasn't surprised when Eren was true to his word. He didn't feel rushed or pressured in their relationship, Eren seemed perfectly happy taking their time and exploring as though it was brand new. 

While to Levi it still felt new, it also didn't. He couldn't explain how he felt about their relationship, he felt different now than he had before his Heat a few weeks before. Back then everything was exciting, he was falling in love, he was ready to explore farther. 

Now he was terrified.

He could feel the bond they shared, deep down in his heart, the hole he had felt before, that was Eren. The ache he felt in his chest when he thought about the Alpha he forgot, it was his heart telling him that his Alpha was right there, waiting for him. 

His Alpha that would wait for him until the end of time if he needed to. His Alpha that was still so patient, and kind, and perfect, who assured him that everything was perfect.

Everything was perfect. That's what Levi was afraid of. What if he fucked it up? What if Eren lost his patience with him and couldn't handle him not remembering anymore.

"Hey, where are you? Come back." Eren said, shaking Levi gently in his arms and drawing the Omega out of his thoughts. Levi looked up into Eren's concerned eyes before tucking his head under the Alpha's chin.

"I'm here." He smiled softly, curling into his chest.

"Your memories will never come back if you stress yourself over them." Eren said, wrapping arms around him tightly.

 "How do you always know what I'm thinking about?" Levi grumbled, hearing the chuckle rise up through Eren's chest.

"You get that look on your face when you worry about it." Eren said, kissing the top of Levi's head. "I wish I could convince you that it doesn't matter." He whispered, lips lingering against Levi's hair.

"I know." Levi said quietly. "I just wish I could. You're so perfect, I hate that I can't love you the way I did." He added, resting his head on Eren's broad shoulder.

"Maybe it's better this way. You don't remember how much I hurt you." Eren said.

"I don't remember the pain, but I do know it was there. I also know that you were hurting too; when you didn't know what to do about us, when Mina was pregnant. When I forgot you but you were still here taking care of me, telling me everything would be okay. I knew then you were hurting and I had no idea how to help you." Levi said, leaning up to look into Eren's eyes. "It would have helped if you would have fucking told me! But that's neither here nor there." He smirked, watching as Eren's face broke into a smile before he pulled the smaller man into a kiss.

"I think we've both had more than enough pain in our lives, let's just be happy together, no matter what happens from now on." He said.

"Deal." Levi smiled, pulling Eren back in for more kisses.

There was nothing Levi loved more than kissing Eren, the way their lips moved together, the way Eren's hands ran up and down his body, touching him nearly everywhere yet still keeping his hands to himself; away from anywhere that Levi didn't feel comfortable.

While infuriating, it also may have made Levi fall even more in love with him. 

 

"It's late." Eren whispered, pulling away slightly, only to spread some open mouth kisses to Levi's neck. "We should go to bed, you're going out with Annie and Krista tomorrow morning, aren't you?" He asked.

Levi nodded, pulling back with his face flushed and lips swollen, eyes staring into Eren's. "Yeah." He whispered.

Eren smiled at him before lifting him into his arms effortless and carrying him to his bedroom. 

"I can walk you know." Levi grumbled, but couldn't help but to curl into the Alpha's strong chest and enjoy the ride.

"But why would you when you don't need to?" Eren grinned, laying him down on the bed and kissing him once more. "Goodnight Levi." He said.

"Goodnight Eren." Levi whispered, longing in his eyes as he watched Eren walk out of the room.

 

Annie, Krista, and Levi went out for breakfast the next morning. The three Omega's had been spending more time together lately; Levi didn't quite remember the friendship they had had as children, but could feel that they had been close before and enjoyed spending time with them now.

The two girls, while similar looking with their petite build, blonde hair, and blue eyes, they couldn't have been more different, yet they were still great friends; probably had something to do with being the only Omega's in their group of friends.

"So Levi, how are you and Eren doing?" Krista asked digging into her pancakes.

"We're good. Things are going well" Levi said, sipping his tea.

"No, I mean  _how_  are you doing?" She grinned. "It's just us here now for once, we want all the dirty details." She said, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Uhh... we..." Levi stammered uncomfortably, looking at Annie for help. She was stoic and reserved like he was, she wouldn't allow for this would she?

"Don't look at me, I'm dying to know too." Annie smirked.

"Traitor." Levi grumbled as Annie let out a quiet laugh and took a bite of her eggs.  "We're good, I don't really know what to say." He said shyly.

"What’s the sex like?" Krista asked, making Levi choke in surprise. "I bet it's amazing, Eren just seems like one of those Alpha's that really knows what they’re doing." She added with a grin.

"It's... um... we're taking it slow." He said quietly, feeling the heat burning in his cheeks.

"Really? But he spent your heat with you." Krista said in confusion.

"That doesn't mean they had sex." Annie defended quietly.

"We didn't... we haven't yet. I mean, well, obviously we did before but I can't remember that very well. Since we began dating we haven't." Levi explained nervously. "He did help me through my heat, but he just used his fingers, he didn't even take his clothes off." 

"Wow. I think my respect for Eren just skyrocketed." Annie said 

"Same." Krista said. "We always knew he loved you, even when he tried to convince himself he didn't, but wow, you don't see that in an Alpha very often. I'm not even sure Ymir would be able to do something like that." She chuckled.

"He's amazing. I don't deserve him." Levi said quietly, poking at his breakfast with his fork.

"Don't say that. You both deserve each other, you always have." Annie smiled, squeezing his arm affectionately.

"I'm not the same person I was before the surgery." Levi whispered.

"To be honest, neither is Eren." Annie said. 

"Yeah, so much happened to both of you, maybe now that it's all out of the way you're finally ready to be happy with each other." Krista said, Levi nodded.

"Yeah. Maybe you're right." He said, smiling at his two friends. "I really want to have sex with him." He added, hiding his face.

"Ooh!" Krista said, sliding closer to him. "What's the hold up?" She asked.

"I'm afraid to start anything. I've never done anything outside the haze of Heat. He won't touch me either, I don't know if he's afraid to push or if he doesn't want to..." Levi said insecurely.

"Believe me, he wants you." Annie said with a smile.

"As for you starting something, well we can help with that, just gotta do a little shopping." Krista said, smiling broadly.

"Oh god." Levi groaned.

"Oh come on! It'll be fun!" Krista said, digging back into her breakfast with a smile.

 

Two hours later Levi and Annie were exhausted as they practically pulled Krista out of the store and made their way back to Levi's apartment.

"Eren's not home?" Annie asked as they walked in.

"I guess not." Levi said looking around, Eren hadn't mentioned going anywhere, though he probably just went out with some friends.

"That's good, we can set everything up." Krista said grabbing bags out of Levi's hands and heading toward his room.

"What? Now?!" Levi asked in shock as he followed her.

"Yes! You want this to happen, you have to take charge! If you don't do it now you'll chicken out and you won't get any for who knows how long!" Krista said, laying things on the bed.

"She's right. Just have to jump in. Unless you're not actually ready." Annie said, giving Levi a look of concern and understanding.

"N-no. No, I'm ready. I want to do it, I'm just... nervous." Levi said.

"Nervous is okay. It'll be fine, great even. You and Eren love each other and he's not going to hurt you." Annie assured, Levi gave her a nod and a small smile and went over to look at the things on the bed.

 

They helped Levi spread some candles around and a few rose petals by Krista's demand as she insisted she knew what she was doing, before leaving Levi on his own to get dressed and wait for Eren.

He felt ridiculous as he tried to lay seductively on Eren's bed wearing lacy thigh highs, panties, and a small silky robe. He decided against the sexy gown Krista picked out, he was enough out of his comfort zone, he didn't need to go full Omega; hopefully Eren would like it well enough without.

Eren took longer than Levi had expected, though they hadn't had plans so he couldn't blame Eren for being late when the Alpha didn't even know there was anything to be late for. 

Levi found himself relaxing as he lay on Eren's pillow, breathing in the Alpha's scent as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

 

 

> _"I really like you Levi." He said_ _looking into Levi's eyes._
> 
> _"I like you too." Levi whispered shyly, looking_ _back into Eren's_ _._ _Eren's_ _smiled wavered_ _slightly_ _as his face turned serious and nervous yet determined_ _all at once_ _. He leaned in slowly and pressed his lips softly against Levi's._
> 
> _Levi stiffened for a moment before relaxing into the kiss. It was_ _simple;_ _just_ _Eren's_ _lips pressed against his own_ _._ _I_ _t was_ _the first kiss for_ _both of_ _them_ _and it was perfect. They parted after a moment; both boys blushing with small smiles on their faces as_ _Eren_ _linked their fingers together._
> 
> _"Good." Eren said simply and gazed up at the stars._

 

 

"Levi?" Eren's voice cut through his favorite dream. He had had it before, many times in fact but he never got sick of seeing his first kiss, remembering what it was like to be with Eren before life got in the way.

He opened his eyes slowly, finding Eren's big green eyes sparkling mere inches from his own, a big grin on his face.

"What are you doing in my bed?" Eren laughed lightly. "Not that I mind." He added.

"Shit!" Levi said, sitting up quickly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was supposed to be sexy when you got home, not drooling on your pillow." He said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I dunno, seeing you asleep in my bed is pretty adorable, definitely something I could get used to." Eren smiled, sitting down on the bed facing Levi. "What are you wearing?" He asked, trying to peak around the pillow Levi held tightly against him.

"Something sexy. I look ridiculous." He said, looking away but Eren caught his chin in his fingers and turning it back to him.

"I bet you look amazing, you look beautiful in everything. But if you're uncomfortable you can change, I won't look." He smiled.

"I wanted to show you. I wanted to be sexy and seduce you." Levi said shyly.

"You did?" Eren couldn’t hide his grin if he tried.

"I fucked it up, Who falls asleep while they're waiting to have sex with their boyfriend?" Levi grumbled.

"No, you didn't fuck it up! It was my fault anyway, I was out longer than I meant to be." Eren said.

"Where were you anyway?" Levi asked. Eren reached behind him for a large envelope that lay on the bed.

"I was at the hospital." He said, holding it between them.

"Are you okay? Is it the Hanahaki? Is it worse because I don't remember everything?" Levi panicked as Eren opened it, pulling out the papers inside and giving them to Levi.

"W-what am I looking at? Please tell me." Levi said, his fingers trembling as he held the papers, a copy of an x-ray on top.

"It's gone." Eren smiled. "All of it. I don't need any more treatment, I don't need surgery. You cured me Levi." He whispered.

"You're better?" Levi's eyes widened as he stared at the Alpha. Eren nodded with a big smile and Levi jumped into Eren, wrapping his arms around the larger man's neck and hugging him tight.

"See, it doesn't matter to me that you don't remember everything, or that you don't love me as strongly as you did before, just the fact that you are here with me and you’re falling in love with me all over again, it's everything I could ask for." Eren said, arms circling Levi's waist, holding him tight as he buried his nose in Levi's neck.

"I love you. I love you so much. I'm so glad you're okay." Levi said, kissing Eren's forehead, cheeks, all over his face until he pulled away only enough to look into his eyes, his own blurring with happy tears.

"I love you too." Eren said, pulling Levi back in for a searing kiss.

 

Levi pushed Eren back as they parted, leaning the Alpha against the pillows before taking a step back to give Eren a proper view of his new outfit; standing bashfully as Eren's eyes raked over him.

"You look stunning." Eren whispered.

"You like it?" Levi asked, smiling shyly, Eren nodding eagerly and reaching to bring Levi back into him and pressing their lips together once again.

"I want you." Levi whispered as Eren's lips latched onto his neck.

"Are you sure?" He asked between kisses, Levi could smell the arousal rolling off the Alpha and feel it beneath him, he nodded, grinding himself down against him.

Eren groaned, flipping them over so Levi was laying on the bed, Eren hovering over him and latching his lips onto his thin neck; teeth nipping and grazing over Levi's scent gland as the Omega whined in pleasure.

"Yes. Eren please." Levi begged, tangling his fingers in Eren's soft hair. 

Eren growled, leaning up and ripping his shirt off, nearly tearing it in the process before reattaching himself to Levi's skin; working his way down Levi's body with open mouth kisses and small nips as he slipped the silky robe off Levi's shoulders.

"So beautiful." Eren whispered, nuzzling the lacy fabric over Levi's hips; hot breath ghosting over Levi's straining arousal underneath, driving him mad with desire and need. 

Eren was so close, he was right here, he was about to give himself to the Alpha and he felt no fear whatsoever. 

In this moment all of Levi's nervousness had left, he knew this was right, he knew Eren would never hurt him, he would never leave him. This is what Levi had wanted his entire life; Eren to be his everything, this wasn't a memory he had been told or something he was supposed to feel. 

The feeling came straight from his heart and there was no mistaking it was real. He felt tears slip down his cheeks; the love and happiness he felt overwhelming him as he looked up at his Alpha.

"Levi? Are you okay? Do you want to stop?" Eren asked, eyes wide and filled with concern, Levi smiled at him and shook his head.

"I just... I love you so much." He whispered, Eren's face softening as a smile spread across his lips and he pulled Levi up into his arms and kissed him passionately.

"I love you too." He said, wiping Levi's face with his thumb before trailing his hands down Levi's body, squeezing his soft flesh through the panties. 

"I almost don't want to take these off." Eren grinned.

"You better, I don't want to ruin them." Levi whispered, leaning forward to kiss Eren's delicious looking collarbones and undid Eren's jeans, as he felt slick beginning to leak out of him. It was a new sensation for him, other than Heat he has never experienced the natural lubrication or the strong scent that accompanied it. 

 

Eren growled, pushing Levi roughly back onto the bed. "These are staying on." He said, running his fingers over the stockings before they reached the waistband of Levi's panties; pulling them off slowly as his eyes stared at Levi's naked body in awe. 

Levi felt himself blush under the scrutiny, Eren's aroused and pleased scent heavy in the air around them. Eren stared only for a moment before his lips were back on Levi's skin; kissing his hip bones, down his thighs, his hands spreading Levi's legs and pushing them back before his tongue licked a strip over Levi's slick entrance.

Levi nearly screamed in pleasure and surprise at the unexpected action, "It's dirty." He whimpered, though his legs trembled and body ached for more. 

"Delicious." Eren groaned, lapping up everything Levi had to offer; tongue swirling around Levi's entrance before plunging inside making the Omega scream in pleasure as he felt the movement inside.

 

"You're so wet for me." Eren said, his voice husky and his chin glistening as he replaced his mouth with his fingers, leaning up to kiss the Omega. Levi wrapped his arms around Eren's neck, pulling him in desperately as Eren's fingers moved inside of him, stretching him open. He tasted himself on Eren's lips though couldn't bring himself to care about the oddly sweet taste as he held Eren in his arms.

"I need you now." Levi whined, grinding himself down on Eren's fingers, he wanted more, he wanted his Alpha.

"I have to stretch you properly." Eren whispered, a small chuckle in his voice. "You're not in Heat and I don't want to hurt you." He added, crooking his fingers and Levi's vision went white and he arched into Eren, who sucked on his neck as he repeated the movement, his other hand reaching down and wrapping around Levi's straining erection.

"No! Eren, I'll cum." Levi cried, the pleasure blinding and slick flowing around Eren's fingers. "I need you first." He pleaded.

Eren nodded, removing his fingers from Levi and laying him against the pillows so he could pull off the last of his clothes; his own erection red and painfully swollen.

Levi scrambled to his knees, staring at the large, strong, beautiful Alpha before him, his hands reaching out to smooth over Eren's perfect abs and thin waist. In an act of bravery, he wasn't aware he had, he pushed his bashfulness away and leaned forward, placing a kiss to the leaking tip.

Eren groaned loudly. "Levi." He pulled the Omega away. "This will end a lot quicker than I'd like if you do that." He said, pulling him back up to his lips. Levi nodded, pulling Eren down onto the bed before climbing into his lap.

"I'm ready." Levi said, stopping Eren's protests of a more comfortable position and raising himself up and lining himself with Eren before sinking down slowly. Eren didn't move as he watched Levi move, not even as Levi was fully seated with Eren inside him, body trembling as it adjusted to the size.

"You're huge." Levi whispered, giving a strained chuckle.

"Are you okay? We don't have to." Eren whispered, his own body trembling slightly, Levi could tell he wanted to move but refused until Levi was okay. He really was the perfect Alpha.

"No. I want this. I-I've done it before, haven't I?" Levi smiled.

"You were in Heat, it was differ---ngh!" Eren groaned as Levi began to move, Eren's hands grabbing onto his sides almost painfully. Levi moaned loudly as Eren's erection moved inside him, scraping against his walls, filling him up so perfectly.

Levi's legs shook with the intensity, barely able to hold himself up as he pleasured himself with Eren's body. Eren moved his hands under Levi's thighs, taking his weight with ease as he continued the movement; angling Levi until he found his prostate once again, making Levi scream once again at the intense pleasure.

"Eren... Eren... I'm..." Levi cried out, barely able to speak at the pleasure overtook him.

"Me too." Eren groaned. "D-do you want me to pull out?" He asked, Levi shook his head, kissing Eren hard through a whimper as he released over their stomachs, feeling Eren's knot expanding as the Alpha groaned loudly.

"I love you." Eren whispered into Levi's ear as he was coming down from the high of his release, though still holding Levi tightly against him

"I love you too." Levi whimpered, another orgasm overtaking him as he spurted over their skin once more.

"How are you? Does it hurt?" Eren asked, kissing all over Levi's face gently. Levi shook his head. 

"Y-you're knot..." Levi gasped as he came again and again with nothing left to show for it, over stimulation almost too much for him to handle.

 

Eren held him tightly as he moved them, laying down on the bed with Levi resting on top of him; the change of position shifting them enough to ease some of the intensity. Levi sighed contently as he nuzzled into Eren's neck.

"You're tense, what's wrong?" Levi asked, Eren's arms still holding him tight.

"S-sorry." He said, loosening his grip slightly.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Do you regret..." Levi asked, lifting himself up enough to look into Eren's eyes, doubt and insecurity filling him.

"No! That was the best experience of my life. I just... don't go... please..." Eren pleaded.

"Eren, this was perfect. I'm not going anywhere." Levi said.

"I know... it's just. Last time you freaked out, you pulled off my knot. I understand why; I shouldn't have done what I did, but I can't see you go through pain like that ever again, especially not because of me." Eren said, his eyes shining at the memory.

"I pulled off?" Levi asked, surprised, he didn't remember that but he knew something like that was supposed to be painful. Eren nodded sadly and Levi took his face in his hands. "I'm here, I'm not freaking out, I love you." He said, staring into his eyes.

"Good." Eren smiled, kissing Levi's forehead. "I love you so much." He said as Levi cuddled into him once again, relaxing in Eren's scent and the calmly rolling pleasure of his knot inside him.

 

Once Eren's knot went down he carried Levi to the bathroom to clean him up and relax together in a hot bath. Levi practically purred as the warm water washed over him, soothing his aching muscles as he leaned against his boyfriend's chest.

"What if we bonded?" Levi asked suddenly, lacing his fingers through Eren's. "Like Mates used to do. We obviously have some kind of strong bond, maybe if we physically bonded it would bring me back." 

"You know, we talked about this once, right before your surgery. I think we are Fated Mates, even if that type of thing doesn't happen anymore; there's no way we could have fallen in love as barely more than toddlers, gone through everything we did and still love each other. You forgot me yet you're still here with me." Eren said, holding Levi tight and kissing his neck.

"I think we are too." Levi whispered.

"I want nothing more to bond you, but bonding is forever, I won't do it until you are completely sure that this is what you want, not what you think you should." Eren said.

Levi was quiet for a moment before he turned around, pressing himself against Eren's chest and kissing him passionately. "You're perfect." He whispered. "I'd love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you, but maybe we can wait a little while for bonding?" He asked.

"As long as you need." Eren smiled, Levi kissed him again before tucking his head under the Alpha's chin and relaxing into the bath.

Life was bliss.

Being with Eren, really being with him in every way possible was amazing. 

They had become closer, even more comfortable with each other and in tune with each other's needs. While Levi still didn't remember much of his former life he felt more connected with it, as though the few memories that he had seen had become more a part of him instead of pictures of someone else.

He hadn't slept alone since that night, his bed didn't feel like his own anymore; he belonged in Eren's bed, curled up in his arms.

"You seem so happy." Petra smiled as she sat down beside Hange, tea in hand.

"I am." Levi smiled, sipping his own tea as he sat in their living room.

"That's really great Levi. It's so good to see things working out for you, especially after everything you've been through." Hange said, putting an arm around her girlfriend.

"Thanks, it's been tough but I think everything is finally turning out okay." Levi explained.

"I feel like such an idiot. I could have prevented a lot of this is I just said something." Hange said.

"No. I made you keep it a secret. It was my own fault, if I had said something to Eren instead of keeping it to myself we could have avoided all of it." Levi assured.

"Don't forget Eren, he could have said something too." Petra added.

"You're right." Levi chuckled. "We were both idiots, we're paying for it but we're making up for it too." He said.

"It is pretty romantic, falling in love at eight years old and still ending up together." Hange smiled.

"What about us? I fell in love with you when I was eleven." Petra grinned.

"And I was too much of an idiot to see it for like 10 years." Hange said.

"You're making up for it now." Petra smiled, leaning in to kiss her.

"I take it you two are still doing well." Levi smiled at his friends.

"Very well." Petra smiled.

"She's even moving across country with me." Hange said and Levi choked on his tea and looked at them with wide eyes.

"So there was something we wanted to talk to you about..." Hange said, looking almost shyly at him.

"You leaving?" He asked.

"I got offered a job. A really good job. My dream job... it just happens to be on the other side of the country." Hange explained.

"Hange, that's amazing. You've been working so hard, I'm so happy for you." Levi said smiling as his eyes welled up in tears. 

Hange's own eyes filled with tears as well as she threw herself over to him, pulling him into a hug. "Are you really?" She sniffled.

"Of course I am! I just don't know what I'll do without you." Levi cried softly into her shoulder.

"You'll be okay. You have Erwin and Mike, Mikasa, everyone. You don't need me." Hange sniffled.

"I'll always need you." Levi insisted. "But I'll make it with you away, as long as you're happy and doing amazing things." He said, pulling away and giving her a happy smile through his tears.

"I can do amazing things with this job. It's all I ever wanted." Hange nodded. "And I wouldn't go if I didn't think you were okay. As skeptical as I've been over Eren, I see how much he loves you, has always loved you, and now is ready to take care of you. I know I can leave without worry about you, only miss you." She explained and Levi hugged her again.

"I'll be fine, I'm just going to miss you too." Levi said, then looked over to Petra who was smiling at them with tears in her eyes. Levi held out an arm and she rushed over to join the hug. "And I'll miss you just as much." He added.

"Me too." She cried gently.

"But it's also so exciting, when do you guys leave?" Levi asked.

"Three weeks. It's all very sudden." Hange said.

"Thr—wow... You're going to miss Erwin's baby!" Levi exclaimed.

"I know. But we're going to video chat all the time and they already told me I could take a week off after he's born. My nephew/god child is going to know who I am!" Hange demanded.

"Yes he will. He's going to love his Aunts Hange and Petra." Levi said and the two nodded.

"You and Eren will have to spoil him extra for us." Hange said.

"You got it." Levi smiled as the three of them relaxed on the couch, curling up together and reminiscing of all the good times they’ve had together, preparing themselves for the new chapter of their lives and the separation it held.

Levi spent nearly every night with Hange and Petra before they left; Erwin, Mike, Mikasa, Sasha, all of their friends spent as much time as possible before the two left. 

Life was different without them. Hange had been such a staple in Levi's life for the past 10 years, it was strange not to have her a few minutes away whenever he needed her.

They still texted daily, video chatting regularly; it wasn't the same but it was better than nothing.

"Hange's doing really well in her new job." Mikasa said as she and Levi sat together, researching some wedding plans while Eren assisted Sasha in the kitchen with a new recipe she was trying.

"She is! It's only been a couple months and she's practically running the department." Levi said.

"Petra was telling me, that's really great. Petra got a job too, working in some office. Seems like they're settling in." Mikasa said.

"Yeah, it's really great. Maybe we'll have to take a trip to see them sometime soon." Levi said

"Yeah! That would be great! Maybe the summer." Mikasa smiled and Levi nodded.

"Sounds good. Hey, what about a destination wedding?" Levi asked, turning the computer toward her, showing the wedding package for a beach wedding.

"You know that looks pretty good... I'll have to speak to Sasha about it, and Mom." Mikasa said.

"Aunt Kimi will strangle you if you don't let her help plan." Levi chuckled.

"True." Mikasa laughed. "You're going to stand for me right? I realized I hadn't asked you, but there's no way I can get married without you and Petra standing with me." She said.

"Of course I will!" Levi smiled. "Not every day your cousin gets married, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else when you do."

"Speaking of cousin's getting married. You and Eren are getting pretty close." Mikasa said.

"We are, but I don't think we're there yet." Levi said.

"Maybe you're not." Mikasa grinned, glancing over to Eren and Sasha in the kitchen.

"If I hadn't lost my memories I probably would be too. Hell if I never moved away from him we probably would have been married years ago." Levi chuckled.

"Probably. You two have a very... unique relationship. I'm sorry for how I acted when you got together." She said.

"I understand. It was a weird situation, especially since I didn't tell you anything about him while we were growing up." Levi said.

"Yeah, that was weird! You'd think you'd tell me that you had a fucking mate since you were eight years old!" Mikasa said.

"I was hurting. I only have limited memories of it but I missed him, I didn't think I'd ever see him again. You know me, I don't like to show weakness." Levi chuckled.

"That's what gets you into trouble." Mikasa glared, making Levi chuckle.

"Who's in trouble?" Eren asked, walking over and plopping down on the couch beside Levi, wrapping his arms around him.

"No one anymore, as long as Levi doesn't keep everything in anymore. I hope you've learned your lesson." Mikasa said, pulling Sasha into her lap as the Beta came over with a spoonful of dinner for a taste. "Delicious." Mikasa smiled, kissing her fiancé.

"I did." Levi smiled.

"We both did. I like to believe we tell each other everything now." Eren said, resting his chin on Levi's shoulder.

"We do." Levi said, turning his head to kiss Eren gently.

"Oh my god you two are adorable." Sasha gushed. "Aren't they just the most beautiful couple?" She said, Levi felt himself blushing, though leaned into Eren's smiling lips against his hair.

"Dinner smells delicious, what are we having?" Levi asked, changing the subject.

"Stew! I found a new recipe." Sasha exclaimed.

"It's kind of easy too, maybe I should take some lessons with Sasha and start cooking for you." Eren smiled.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that." Levi smiled, just as his phone began to ring.

 

"Erwin? Hey, how's the movie?" Levi asked, holding the phone up to his ear.

"You're tearing me apart Lisa!" Eren imitated dramatically, making Levi chuckle and elbow his boyfriend with an amused glare.

"Wait. What??" Levi asked, eyes widening and sitting up straight as Erwin yelled into the phone.

"It's time! He's coming!" Erwin shouted.

"Now? Oh my god, where are you?" Levi asked.

"We're almost to the hospital. She went in labour about 30 minutes ago." Erwin said.

"We're on the way." Levi said, hanging up the phone and jumping up.

"The baby, he's coming. I have to go." Levi said as Eren jumped up with him.

"Let's go!" He said.

"Sorry Mikasa, Sasha. Raincheck on dinner?" Levi asked, pulling on his coat.

"Go, go! Send me a picture when he's born!" Mikasa smiled as the two rushed out the door and down to Eren's car.

"Eren! Hi!" The front desk nurse said surprised as they hurried into the hospital. "What are you doing here? She asked, eyes moving from Eren to Levi, a small smile forming on her face.

"Our friends' are having a baby. Two giant blonde Alpha's with a teenager." Eren said.

"Oh yes! They got here not long ago. They're in room D, though I'm not sure if the mother would like a crowd." She said.

"Can you let Levi in? I'll wait out here, he's their best friend." Eren asked.

"I'll leave if she asks me to." Levi promised.

"Alright, come on." She smiled, leading him down the hallway.

"Levi! You're here!" Mike said softly, looking up from the chair by the window.

"Hey! How's it going?" Levi whispered, coming inside to find Erwin sitting beside the bed, holding the sleeping pregnant girl's hand.

"She just had an epidural, finally dozed off." Erwin said.

"Labour seems painful." Mike said.

"I bet." Levi said, walking over to Erwin and the girl, who even in her sleep tensed up suddenly, griping Erwin's hand tightly. Erwin let out a calming Alpha scent to help relax her.

"Almost there. You're soon going to be parents." Levi smiled.

"I know, it's crazy." Erwin smiled, staring at the young girl as Mike came over, putting a hand on Erwin's shoulder.

"And exciting." He said.

"Where's her mother? Or boyfriend." Levi asked.

"She didn't want them here, didn't want anyone getting attached." Erwin said, Levi nodded as the girl's eyes opened.

"Hey Marie, how are you doing?" Levi asked.

"I've been better." Marie groaned with a small smile.

"Well you're doing great! It’ll be over before you know it." Levi said.

"Thanks. Maybe I'll come say that to you when your uterus is contracting violently." Marie groaned as a contraction hit her and she clutched Erwin's hand tightly. "FYI, epidurals do not take away the pain!"

"I'll keep that in mind." Levi smiled sympathetically. "Can I get you anything? Ice chips?" Levi asked. She shook her head as she tried to breathe through the pain.

"Eren." Levi whispered, kissing the Alpha's cheek as he slept uncomfortably in two chairs in the waiting room. Eren smiled as he opened his eyes, pulling Levi into him.

"Baby here yet?" He asked.

"Not yet. It’s probably going to be a while, why don't you go home?" Levi asked.

"No, I'm okay." Eren shook his head.

"You look uncomfortable." Levi said.

"I'm not leaving here without you. Besides, I want to see my Nephew as soon as he's born." Eren smiled, pulling Levi into a kiss.

"Your Nephew?" Levi raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"If he's your Nephew he's mine by default isn't he?" Eren asked.

"Seems like quite a commitment." Levi said.

"I'm up for it." Eren smiled.

"Me too." Levi smiled back before curling up into Eren and relaxing in his arms.

Levi spent the next few hours back and forth from the waiting room to the birthing room. They called Hange on the video chat to keep her posted (With Marie's permission of course), and she booked her plane ticket immediately after the call ended; scheduling to be there early the next week.

Levi held Marie's hand as she pushed; Erwin and Mike huddled together on the other side of her, coaxing her on and helping her though until they heard the cries of the newborn baby filling the room.

Levi watched in awe as the nurses carried the baby boy over to the scale, weighing him and cleaning him up; Mike snapping a couple pictures as Erwin sat down in the rocking chair to prepare for the skin to skin contact.

Levi sat down on the bed beside Marie, leaning around her as he held her hand and smoothed down her hair; tears streaming down her face as she stared at the opposite wall while the doctors fixed her up.

"You did great." He cooed. She nodded as a sob escaped.

"Are you okay?" He asked and she nodded again.

"Just a little emotional." She whispered.

"You're doing a good thing. Erwin and Mike are going to love and take care of that baby better than anyone possibly could." He said, glancing up at the smiling faces of the new parents.

"Better than I ever could." She said quietly.

"You'll be a great Mom someday if you want to be. When you're older and ready for it." Levi assured, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Thanks Levi." She whispered, looking to the door as a woman stopped in the doorway.

"Mom." Marie smiled, crying softly as the woman rushed over; Levi giving up his place for her before they finally wheeled Marie out of the room.

"He's beautiful guys." Levi said, walking over to the beaming Alpha's.

"He is." Erwin smiled, happy tears sparkling in his eyes as he held the baby boy.

The nurses soon took the baby for his bath while the rest of them went up to the room they would stay in until the baby was released.

Levi held the baby in his arms, feeding him a bottle while Mike and Erwin took turns showering and freshening up in the small bathroom attached to the room.

"What's his name?" Eren asked, drawing Levi's attention away from the infant, he looked up at the Alpha with a soft smile.

"Farlan Church Smith-Zacharias" Levi whispered.

"Quite the mouthful." Eren chuckled.

"Anything with Smith-Zacharias is a mouthful. Church is Marie's middle name." Levi explained with a smile.

"That's nice." Eren said, kneeling down beside Levi's chair and putting his arm around him as Levi nodded.

"You look good holding a baby." Eren smiled.

"Birth is terrifying." Levi said.

"You could do it." Eren chuckled, kissing the side of his head.

"You want to have one?" Levi asked, looking up into the Alpha's eyes.

"With you? More than anything." Eren grinned.

"What if I can't?" Levi whispered.

"It never hurts to try, if it happens it happens. If not then I'll be more than happy to spend the rest of my life just the two of us." Eren said.

"Really?" Levi asked.

"Yes. I love you, I'm never going to stop." Eren smiled, pulling Levi in for a soft kiss.

"Okay. Let's try." Levi smiled shyly as they parted and Eren's smile became impossible bigger; shining like the sun itself.

"Let's try."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it?
> 
> things are winding down! everything coming together.   
> I thought this would be the last chapter but there's at least one more.   
> I have a good idea of how to end it, though it might be a little delayed because I think I want to do a Christmas-y oneshot (nothing to do with this, just some stupid/cute thing I was thinking about)
> 
> Please tell me what you think!
> 
> <3
> 
>  
> 
> ((Also, if you get the movie reference I'll love you forever!))


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! I am the absolute worst!  
> I've been getting my ass kicked with work, family, Christmas, sickness, depression, and a bit of writer's block.
> 
> I did write a Christmas oneshot though check it out
> 
>  [Here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13106280)
> 
> if you want 
> 
>  
> 
> Please Enjoy!

 

 

Life with Eren was wonderful.

Even though Levi had yet to recover all of his memories, even though every day wasn't perfect, he couldn't have been happier.

They had officially moved into the same room months ago; they never slept apart, so there really had been no point of keeping separate rooms.

Levi loved curling up with Eren every night; his Alpha holding him close and keeping him warm, nothing could be better.

He loved getting to know the Alpha, he learned something new about the younger man nearly every day. It wasn't just because of his memory loss, though he often discovered things that seemed familiar afterward, but Eren insisted that there were things about Levi he was learning himself.

It wasn't always good, they sometimes found the other annoying; Levi hated it when Eren would leave his shoes directly in front of the door so it couldn't be opened properly, and Eren was often annoyed when Levi would get caught up in cleaning when they had plans to so something.

But they could never stay mad with each other, especially over things so frivolous and insubstantial. Levi had fallen so deeply in love with the other man that the fact that they had a prior relationship often slipped his mind. Eren could always tell when it came back and would kiss Levi's worries away.

He was so perfect, even with his imperfections, Levi wanted to give him everything, wanted to show Eren how special he truly was.

Unfortunately, the thing he wanted most to give him was the thing that seemed the most impossible.

Levi let out a defeated sigh, trying to ignore the stinging in his eyes as he sat on the toilet seat, staring at the negative pregnancy test in his hand.

They had been trying for months with no results. Levi knew it wasn't likely; the doctors told him it wasn't going to happen, even Grisha agreed that it was unlikely but Eren was so determined. It had happened before and Eren was convinced that under the right conditions it would happen again. 

It killed Levi to see the disappointment on Eren's face every time the test turned up negative; it was hard enough to deal with his own disappointment but to see the sad look in Eren's eyes as he hugged Levi tight and whispered promises of next time. 

This one was especially hard, Levi had actually believed it worked this time. He had had gone into Heat a few weeks ago, it was the first time he had actually felt it coming; they were usually so sudden and erratic, he hadn't even had one since he had gotten some of his memories back.

They had had time to prepare, get supplies, prepare some easy meals for the next few days, and let work know of their needed time off. 

They spent four amazing days together, Eren catering to Levi's every need, easing him through every wave, making Levi feel so loved and connected to his Alpha. 

When his heat ended earlier than the others he thought maybe they had accomplished something, maybe something stuck. He tried so hard to not get his hopes up, he waited the amount of time recommended before testing, trying to keep his mind off of the possibilities.

It obviously didn't work as he felt a tear slipping down his cheek.

"Levi, you alright? You've been in there a while." Eren asked, knocking on the door lightly.

"Yeah." Levi sniffed, wiping his face hastily and moving to get up, Eren poking his head inside as Levi washed his hands.

"Erwin and Mike are here with Farlan... hey, what's wrong?" Eren asked, coming in and wrapping his arms around Levi from behind.

"Nothing." Levi shook his head, turning around to lay his head on Eren's chest and wrap his arms around his waist.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." Eren said, worry in his voice as he held the smaller man tightly and rocking him gently. "You can tell me anything, you know that right?" He added.

"I know. I'll tell you later, they're waiting right?" Levi said, pulling away from Eren's soothing scent reluctantly.

"Okay." Eren nodded. "I love you." He added.

"I love you too." Levi smiled up at the Alpha before leading him out to their waiting friends.

"Hey buddy!" Levi grinned, holding out his arms for his 13 month old Nephew, who smiled wide and reached for Levi as his father gave him an odd look.

"Everything alright? You really don't have to babysit." Erwin said quietly as Levi took Farlan out of his arms, Erwin really was too perceptive for his own good.

"I just took another test. It’s fine, I'm fine. You are going out! You and Mike have barely gone out since Farlan was born! It's going to be fun, even if it is a work thing. At least there's an open bar!" Levi exclaimed, ignoring the sympathetic look Erwin had given him. 

They hadn't told anyone they were trying, they didn't want to get their hopes up if it didn't work out, though Erwin being almost as perceptive as Eren over Levi's feelings had ended up finding out early on. 

It was a relief to be able to talk to someone besides Eren about it, someone who wasn't quite as invested in the outcome but still understanding and supportive.

"Alright, alright. Maybe we can talk over tea tomorrow." Erwin said.

"Erwin, if you are not hung over tomorrow I am going to be super pissed." Levi smirked.

"Fine." Erwin laughed before leaning over to give Farlan a kiss. "Bye Farlan, you be a good boy for Uncle Levi and Uncle Eren, Daddy will see you tomorrow." 

"Bye baby." Mike smiled, coming over to kiss him as well, before stepping over to his husband and putting an arm around him.

Farlan squealed out some incoherent words in a form of goodbye as he reached for Eren's hair behind Levi, chubby fingers closing around the long strands.

"Ahh! Hey!" Eren laughed, bending with the pull and picking it out of the giggling boys hand.

"Go! Have a good time. Farlan will be fine." Levi said, ushering the two Alpha's out of his apartment and closing the door in their faces.

"Thank you Levi!" Mike called out from outside the door as Levi brought Farlan into the living room where his toys had been set up.

Levi loved spending time with his nephew, Farlan was such a happy, curious baby who was always into something but so much fun to chase around and play with. He always had a smile on his face and hardly fussed unless he was tired.

Eren was wonderful with him; the Alpha could play with him for hours without losing his patience or getting tired. At least it didn't seem like he was getting tired until Levi came out from putting together Farlan's playpen bed to find Eren laying on the couch with the toddler on his chest, both snoring lightly as Bubble Guppies played on the tv.

Levi smiled, kneeling down in front of his boyfriend and kissing him softly on the lips, big green eyes opening as he pulled away. 

"Hey there sleepyhead." Levi laughed.

"Hi Beautiful." Eren smiled, stretching as well as he could while holding Farlan securely.

Levi felt heat rising in his cheeks as he reached for the child and lifted him carefully into his arms. Even after 18 months of dating Eren could still turn Levi into a bashful, blushing mess with barely more than a look.

He carried the sleeping boy to his bed, coming out with the baby monitor moments later and climbing on top of the lazy Alpha who hadn't moved from his earlier position.

"You look good with a sleeping baby on you." Levi smiled, hovering over Eren before he was pulled down into a kiss.

"I feel good with a sleeping baby on me." Eren grinned up at Levi. "Hey, what is it?" He asked, eyes filling with concern as Levi's smile slipped from his face.

"I'm sorry." Levi whimpered as his eyes began to blur.

"Sorry for what?" Eren asked in surprise, sitting up and pulling the Omega onto his lap.

"I took another test." Levi said, unable to meet Eren's eyes, dreading the sadness he knew would fill his eyes.

"Oh Levi, it's okay." Eren said, pulling him tight to his chest.

"I really thought this time..." Levi choked out a sob, burying his face in Eren's chest and breathing in his Alpha scent.

"I know, I did too. But it's okay, we'll just keep trying, it'll happen one day." Eren said, resting his cheek on Levi's head and rubbing his back softly.

"What if it doesn't?" Levi whispered.

"Then it doesn't. I'll be happy with just you and me forever." Eren said softly and Levi nodded sadly.

"Me too." He whispered. 

They did keep trying, though nothing seemed to work. 

Life went on, Eren had landed a pretty substantial job with Smith Co.; Grisha using some of his business connections and Erwin putting in a few good words with the right people, though Eren's work ethic and determination proved himself more than their words even could.

 Levi had finally quit his job, after months of persuading from his friends, to pursue a career in event planning. He had used everything he had done for Mike and Erwin's local Wedding, as well as Mikasa and Sasha's destination Wedding as a portfolio and ended up working for a small company. 

He loved his job, though didn't have much responsibility himself, at least not at first. He decorated only according to others' plans at first, though after a few months his opinion was taken into consideration on most major project and had been left in charge on the occasional smaller function.

"You did great." Eren smiled as they slow danced at Levi's first big event; a 50th Wedding anniversary of a sweet older couple who insisted Levi stay for the party (and that he dance with their very single Alpha grandson who was good looking and an Engineer.)

They had been very disappointed when Eren had shown up a little later and smugly a sked Levi to dance, giving an eye to the grandson

"Really?" Levi asked.

"Levi, the place is beautiful, the guests are happy, and everything is perfect. You were made for this." Eren said.

Levi smiled at the Alpha before laying his head against his chest as they danced to the music, even he felt proud of himself and hopeful for the future of his career. "Thanks for pushing me to do this." He said contently.

 

They danced a while longer before sitting together at the table and just enjoying the atmosphere until the place started to clear out and they cleaned up the decorations.

"You really didn't have to help me clean up." Levi said as they walked into their apartment. "You worked all week, you must be tired." He said, wrapping his arms around Eren's waist and looking up at him.

"I don’t mind. I wanted to see you, I don't mind cleaning up a few decorations, especially if I got to dance with you and totally throw off that Alpha who had his eyes on you." Eren smirked.

"You're cruel." Levi chuckled, hitting Eren's chest with the back of his hand playfully. 

"Hey, I don't want some kid to think he's got a chance with you. You're mine and I don't share." Eren smirked, leaning down to kiss him.

"That's good, I have no intention to be shared, but you didn't have to make him almost shit his pants! Plus I'm pretty sure he was older than you." Levi said, reaching his arms up around Eren's neck with a smile.

"Of course I did. Someone as beautiful as you, I can't leave any doubt. I waited a long time for you I'm not going to lose you again." Eren said, his eyes turning serious.

"I'm not going anywhere. Ever. I love you so much Eren." Levi whispered as he was lifted into Eren's arms and carried him to the couch.

"I love you too." The Alpha said, looking up at Levi who sat on his legs.

"I know I don't have all of my memories back, or very many of them, but the way I feel about you... I can't imagine my feelings before could have been any stronger." Levi said, running his fingers through Eren's hair.

Eren pulled Levi head down, pressing his lips to his and kissing him with as much passion as he could muster, hands moving over Levi's sides and gripping his hips.

"We don't need old memories, just the new ones we've made together." Eren whispered, fingers moving to the buttons on Levi's shirt, undoing them quickly and pulling the shirt off before attaching his lips to Levi's collarbones.

"Eren, I've been working all day, I smell." Levi moaned as Eren's mouth worked its way down his chest, latching on to his sensitive nipple.

"You always smell amazing." Eren growled, pulling off his own shirt before attacking Levi's chest with his mouth again.

Levi gasped, grinding against his boyfriend's obvious arousal. As often as they did this it was nothing short of amazing; the way Eren's lips felt against his skin, the way he knew exactly which places to touch, which were the most sensitive. 

The scent of Eren's arousal hung heavy in the air around them, he had so much control over his scent, over his inner Alpha, but times like this when he let go; when he allowed his desire for the Omega to flow uncontrolled, it drove Levi mad with his own arousal.

Eren growled, slipping a hand down the back of Levi's pants, feeling the dampness inside as Levi gasped, rutting back into his hand.

"Eager, are we?" Eren chuckled, Levi's eyes flashing dangerously.

"We can stop." He said flatly, moving to get off of him.

"No! I'm sorry." Eren laughed, moving to the edge of the bed and reaching for the smaller man who stood with his arms crossed, trembling only slightly and trying not to smile.

"I wasn't teasing, I love how your body reacts to me." Eren said, pulling him close and looking up into his eyes with a smile.

"I'll always be eager for you." Levi said, hooking his fingers in the waistband of his pants and slipping then down, hissing as the cool air hit his heated skin.

Eren looked at him hungrily before pulling him into another kiss, hand circling Levi's small erection and pumping slowly as Levi whimpered into his lips.

Levi didn't have much, a common trait of male Omegas that unfortunately didn't miss him as so many others had. It didn't bother him, how could it when Eren adored him, praising every inch of him at every opportunity.

"And I you. You're so beautiful Levi, how did I ever get so lucky." Eren whispered as Levi climbed up onto his lap, Eren's fingers sliding over his slick entrance making Levi moan as he rocked back toward them.

"I want you now." Levi whimpered into Eren's neck as the Alpha stretched him open.

"Patience my little Omega, you're not in Heat, I'll hurt you if you're not prepared properly." Eren whispered, Levi could hear the smile in his voice as he continued his ministrations, driving Levi crazy with almost there touches and not quite fullness, he needed his Alpha now.

Levi's body shook when Eren entered him, climax overtaking him instantly as Eren held him close, rocking gently to help him ride it out.

"I love you." Levi whispered as he began to move up and down, leaning his forehead against Eren's and looking deeply into his eyes as the pleasure and overstimulation became almost too much for him.

"So much. I love you so much." Eren breathed, turning them over so Levi's back was on the bed as he rocked them both to completion before collapsing onto the bed, pulling Levi onto his chest as his knot locked them together.

"Three years and we still can't have a quickie." Levi chuckled as he tucked his head under Eren's chin as the Alpha's fingers ran through his hair, a laugh rumbling through his chest.

"That's a sacrifice I don't mind making." Eren grinned, scratching at Levi's undercut. "I love being connected to you every time, it makes me feel like we're something special." He added, kissing the top of his head.

"We are something special. After everything we’ve been through is there even a doubt?" Levi asked, moving to look up into Eren's eyes, resting his chin on his hands.

"None" Eren smiled, leaning down to kiss him gently before Levi tucked his head back under Eren's chin, cuddling into the younger man as they waited for the knot to go down.

"I've been thinking." Levi said, leaning on his elbow in bed, watching Eren brush his hair after their shower.

"Oh yeah? About what?" Eren asked, putting the brush down and climbing into bed beside Levi.

"Bonding." Levi said, his voice quiet and a slight blush on his cheeks.

"O-oh?" Eren asked, eyes wide with surprise.

"I know it's been a long time since we talked about it and we were going to wait until I got my memories back, and while I only remember a few things I know that I love you so much and I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else." Levi explained, looking up into Eren's eyes only to be pulled suddenly into a deep passionate kiss.

"Really?" He asked.

"Really." Levi nodded. "I don't need to remember how I felt about you then to know that you are what I want now and forever." 

"Hold on." Eren said, rolling out of the bed swiftly, leaving a confused Levi behind as he dashed out of the room.

"I wanted to make it special, plan the perfect evening, but honestly I don't think there could be a better time than right now." Eren said sitting on the side of the bed turned toward Levi and holding out a small box.

Levi gasped as Eren opened it, revealing the small, elegant ring inside; not too extravagant or exaggerated but simplistically Levi.

"Levi Ackerman, I love you with everything I am. I would love nothing more than to bond with you on your next Heat and I would be over the moon is you would also agree to marry me." Eren said with a smile and tears glistening in his eyes.

"You're seriously proposing right now while we're naked in bed?" Levi asked, unable to hid his grin as he wiped the stray tears from his cheeks.

"What better time than my favorite way to have you?" Eren laughed as he took the ring out and held it at Levi's finger.

"Of course I will." Levi said, sliding his finger through it and throwing himself in Eren's arms, wrapping his own around the Alpha's neck.

The decided not to tell their friends until they could get them all together; Hange and Petra were making a trip out for Farlan's third birthday next week so they were going to keep it quiet until then.

There was one friend who wasn't coming home anytime soon; Armin's one year of studying abroad had turned into the University not wanting him to leave and giving him a Research job as he continued his degree.

"H-hey guys!" Armin said as his face appeared on the screen, his hair disheveled, his shirt ruffled and buttoned incorrectly and a blush on his cheeks.

"What were  _you_  doing?" Eren smirked.

"N-nothing. What's up?" Armin asked.

"It's not nothing! Hi Armin's new boyfriend! Mel...vin?" Eren asked, unable to remember is name. He hadn't remembered it when he was telling Levi about him either.

Apparently, they had met when Armin began working in the Research lab but it had only been a few weeks since they had been dating. He was a little older than Armin and grew up only a few hours away from his hometown, ending up with the same overseas program as he had.

"Um. Hi." A man said shyly, sitting down beside Armin, a deep blush of his own.

"Moblit?" Levi asked in surprise.

"Hey Levi." Moblit waved awkwardly.

"You know each other?" Eren asked, looking between them.

"We went to high school together." Levi explained. "That's crazy, though when I think about it you two are oddly perfect for each other." He added.

"Thanks, I think so too." Moblit smiled, putting an arm around Armin and pulling the blushing Beta closer.

"Aww." Eren grinned. "Look at Armin all grown up and almost getting caught messing around." He laughed.

"Yes, because I didn't walk in on you two messing around 10 times when I was home. I was only there a week!!" Armin rolled his eyes. "Now you had something important to tell me or can we get back to what we were doing?" He asked.

"No, we do! You're going to have to make another trip home pretty soon because we're getting married." Eren grinned, holding up Levi's left hand to show off the ring he gave him the night before.

"What? You're engaged?" Armin shouted, his wide blue eyes filling the screen as he tried to get a better look at the ring. I am so happy for you!" He said with a sniff.

"Armin? Are you crying?" Eren asked.

"No! Shut up." Armin mumbled wiping his face hastily. "I'm just so happy for you. After nineteen years and everything you've been through." He said as Moblit held him close.

"It's really great. Armin told me everything you went through and I'm really happy for you." Moblit smiled.

"Thanks." Levi said as Eren held him close.

"You'll be my best man won't you?" Eren asked.

"Of course!" Armin shouted. "Tell me when you set the date and I'll schedule a trip home.

"We will. Hey, we have to go. Our families are coming over for dinner soon so we can tell them, and you need to get back to what you were doing." Eren winked.

"Shut up." Armin said, blushing through his smile. "Let me know how it goes." He added before signing off.

Armin wasn't the only one to cry, Carla and Kimi both burst into tears as soon as Levi showed them the ring; Carla pulling him into her arms and holding tighter than she ever had.

"Welcome to the family." Grisha said, patting Levi on the shoulder.

"He's always been part of the family, ever since the day he and Kuchel walked into our downstairs apartment." Carla said, pulling away only enough to look at him with her tear streaked face and big smile.

"We haven't known you as long, but we are so happy that you're becoming part of our family." Kimi said, reaching up to hug Eren.

"Me too." Eren smiled, hugging her back.

"Well kid, I tried to keep you apart, did everything I could to keep Levi safe from you and you just clawed your way back to him. I'm glad you did, you're okay." Kenny said, patting Eren's shoulder.

"Thank you sir. You're okay too." Eren smiled.

Eren and Kenny still didn't have the best relationship, but they were trying. Apparently they had had a heart to heart in the hospital before Levi's surgery that he didn't remember, but if it helped the two get along then it was okay with him.

Levi spent the rest of the evening discussing Weddings with Carla and Kimi. He hadn't put any thought into it yet but he had a good time hearing their suggestions.

"I'm happy for you." Kenny said as he and Levi sat at the kitchen table, quietly nursing a couple bottles of beer, Eren had gone to walk his parents to their car.

"Thanks Uncle Kenny." Levi said with a small smile.

"So any plans for the big day?" Kenny asked.

"Not yet. Might try to schedule it around my Heat." Levi said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh yeah?" Kenny said awkwardly. "You, uh... your Heats are back to normal huh?" He asked, obviously uncomfortable with the current topic.

"They're getting there. I've been able to tell the week before they hit for a while now, and I think they're starting to regulate, I might be able to guess the next one." Levi explained, Kenny nodded and took a large gulp of his beer.

"That’s good then, your body is getting better. Any brats in your future?" He asked.

Levi shook his head. "Nah. We tried for a while, doesn’t look like it's going to happen." He explained.

"I'm sorry kid. I really am. I thought I was doing you a favor, I would have never given you those pills if I knew..." Kenny said, his eyes misting; a sight Levi wasn't sure if he had ever seen before.

"I know you were, it's okay." Levi said, looking down at the table.

"It's not. I'm the reason you can't have children, I took that away from you and you'd be a good parent. Just like Kuchel." Kenny said.

"Thanks Kenny, but we've accepted it. We're happy just the two of us. Besides I still have my Nephew, that's like having a kid that you can give back." Levi chuckled.

"Usually." Kenny laughed as Eren came back into the apartment.

"What are you guys talking about?" Eren asked, bending down to give Levi a kiss.

"Nothing. I was just heading out." Kenny said standing up and cracking his back. "Well kids, thanks for dinner, it was great and congratulations." He held his hand out for Eren's to shake. "Take care of him for me."

"I will." Eren smiled and Kenny made his way out of the apartment.

"So will you?" Levi asked, stepping toward Eren and wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Will I what?" Eren asked, smiling down at him.

"Take care of me." Levi grinned.

"Every day for the rest of my life." Eren said leaning down to capture his lips in a kiss.

They told the rest of their friends the next weekend when they were all together after Farlan's birthday party. Farlan had gone to sleep and they were having a BBQ in the back yard.

Levi had never seen so many tears in his life; nearly every one of them cried and Hange had tackled him, squeezing to the point he could barely breath as she cried loudly.

"Hange, it's not that big a deal." Levi laughed, trying to pull her off.

"It is! You guys!" She said, pulling away, face drowning in tears. "You loved each other since you were children, you've been through so much. You almost died! And now... You're getting married and I'm so happy!" She cried.

"Thanks Hange." Levi smiled before the others took over.

"Well it's about time! I went out ring shopping with Eren weeks ago!" Erwin laughed pulling Levi into a [less suffocating] hug.

"You knew?" Levi asked, punching him lightly on the shoulder.

"Pay back." Erwn grinned. "Though, he was supposed to let us help with the proposal." He said, glancing over to Eren.

"It happened suddenly. The time was right, sorry." Eren grinned.

"We understand." Mike smiled, putting an arm around his husband. "We're so happy for you both." He added.

"It's about time!" Annie said, coming up to hug him. "I know you've been together a long time now but seriously, I'm surprised you didn't do this three years ago!" She smiled

"Who knows." Levi chuckled as he was pulled into Reiners arms.

"We've been waiting 19 years for this!" He laughed, picking Levi up off the floor with his hug.

"I've told you before but I'm going to say it again. If you ever hurt my baby cousin I will rip your balls off." Mikasa said, crossing her arms and glaring up at the other Alpha.

"Duly noted, but you have nothing to worry about. I'm never going to hurt him again." Eren smiled.

"I know." Mikasa smiled. "Welcome to the family." She said, pulling him into a hug.

"I'm still older than you." Levi grumbled, joining into the hug.

The next few months were crazy, between working and planning the Wedding Levi was getting stressed out. Luckily Eren was always there to calm him down and make him feel better, often surprising him with romantic evenings 

"Thank you for this." Levi said as he melted into the naked, soapy chest of the man behind him. The lights were dimmed, candles lit, and bubbles in the large tub they rarely used.

"You seemed so stressed lately, I wanted to help." Eren said, running a slippery hand over Levi's chest.

"You do help. You always make me feel better, and you've helped so much with Wedding planning." Levi said, bring Eren's hand up to his lips.

"Ours anyway." Eren chuckled. "Must be difficult planning so many things all at once." He said.

"It's not so bad, I have connections and discounts through work." Levi smiled.

"Good." Eren said, holding him close as they relaxed into the water. "I can't believe I get to marry you in a few weeks." He whispered, breathing deeply as his nose buried in Lev's hair.

"Not getting cold feet?" Levi asked, turning over to face him.

"Never." Eren smiled, pulling him into a kiss. "You?" He asked when they parted.

Levi shook his head with a grin. "I'm looking forward to becoming Levi Jaegar." 

"That has a nice ring to it." Eren smiled, pulling him close.

"It does." Levi said, leaning down to kiss him once more.

Levi looked at himself in the full length mirror and took a deep breath. It was the first time he had been alone in days and everything was finally sinking in. 

He was marrying Eren today.

His Alpha, the love of his life, was just down the hall waiting for the time they would stand up before their friends and promise to love each other for the rest of their lives.

They had been through a lot together, and so much that Levi had only vague memories about. It had taken him a long time to accept that his love for Eren as he was now was enough for the Alpha. It had taken a long time for him to stop feeling the ache of inferiority whenever someone would mention them falling in love as children.

It was a wonderful story; to fall in love as small children, for Eren to claim him as his mate when he was just six years old and love him unconditionally all these years. 

A wonderful story that Levi didn't remember, one that didn't quite feel like his. The story he knew was waking up without his memories, waking up without knowing who his Alpha was and falling in love with him all over again.

They had had their ups and downs, ones Levi remembered and ones he didn't, but the love that had grown between them was as strong as anything he could imagine. He didn't need his memories, and he finally believed that Eren didn't need them either, all they needed was each other and in a few minutes they would proclaim that fact before everyone they cared about.

Levi wasn't nervous about spending the rest of his life with Eren, he wasn't nervous about bond marking each other in a few days when his Heat would undoubtedly begin, but the anticipation was making his body tremble in excitement.

"Nervous?" Annie asked with a soft smile, As she and Erwin walked into the room.

"A little, but not about Eren." Levi smiled as Annie reached for his tie to fix it.

"I didn't think you would be." She chuckled.

"Yes, remember, it's just a formality." Erwin said. "This ceremony changes nothing about your relationship, it's just for us, the people who love you so we can join in on your happiness for a little while." 

"Thanks." Levi said, "You look great!" He added, eyes taking in Annie's Green bridesmaid dress and silver hair buckle in her flowing hair, a contrast from her usually ponytail, and Erwin's tux. 

Erwin always looked great in a tux, and while the green of the vest and tie didn't bring out his eyes the way the blue had at his own Wedding, he still looked dashing and impossibly handsome.

"At least the dress still fits, though I didn't think it would be so tight so soon." Annie said, a small blush on her face as her hand lay on her stomach, she had announced her pregnancy a few weeks before.

"Have you seen your boyfriend? That baby is probably going to be three feet tall at birth." Levi chuckled.

"Don’t tell me that!" Annie punched him on the arm.

"Sorry." Levi laughed. "You look stunning, though I am glad you told me early so I could customize it." He added.

"She does look good doesn't she. Pregnancy agrees with you." Mikasa smiled as she and Hange walked in, both wearing matching dresses as Mikasa put an arm around the blonde Omega.

Mikasa and Annie had formed a strong friendship, especially since Petra moved away and the two couple had begun spending more time together. They were both strong and quiet and had a lot in common; their friendship forming easily.

"Nothing more beautiful than a pregnant Omega." Erwin smiled.   
"Alright, that's enough. It's Levi's day, not mine." Annie said, her face a deep pink as she looked at Levi.

"Yes, our baby is getting married! In like ten minutes!" Hange shouted, pulling him into a hug. "All those years we thought he wasn't interested in romance or Alpha's." She gushed.

"Turns out he had someone before any of us did." Mikasa laughed before they fixed themselves up got ready for the ceremony.

It was like a dream; walking up the aisle toward Eren, whose brilliant green eyes were fixed on only him. He stared into his eyes as he walked towards him, as they exchanged their vows, and as they slipped the white gold bands on each other's finger. His eyes only leaving Eren's as they closed for the kiss.

Levi couldn't believe they were married as they slow danced together that evening.

"Are you happy?" Eren asked as they swayed to the music.

"Deliriously." Levi said, smiling up at his new husband.

"Me too." Eren grinned, leaning down to kiss him. "You're warm." He said when they parted, pressing his lips to Levi's forehead.

"My Heat is close. All this excitement is bringing it on faster than normal." Levi explained softly, laying his head on Eren's chest.

"Then I can finally bond with you, like I planned since I was twelve years old." Eren said, his chin on Levi's head.

"Twelve? You never told me that." Levi said.

"When you had your first Heat, I knew I wanted to be connected to you in every way possible." Eren said.

"You're a hopeless romantic, aren't you?" Levi laughed, looking up at him again.

"For you? I suppose I am." Eren smiled.

"Good." Levi smiled back.

They danced a while longer before heading out; back to their apartment where Levi's nest was already built and waiting for them.

They stripped off their clothes slowly, mouths reaching over every inch of each other's bodies, Levi's legs beginning to tremble as he finally allowed the Heat that had been threatening to break through for hours to overtake him.

It was like nothing he had ever experienced, the way Eren's body moved around him; so gentle yet powerful, letting go but also in complete control. 

Eren's teeth sunk into Levi's scent gland, just as his knot expanded inside of him. Levi screamed in pure ecstasy, his orgasm hitting him harder than he had ever felt, body convulsing violently. 

"I love you." Eren whispered, holding Levi tight as his body rode out the continuing release.

Levi felt tears streaming down his face, completely overwhelmed by everything; his love for Eren, the love he felt from Eren through the connection of the bond he had just given him. 

Levi sought out Eren's neck, whimpering softly as the Alpha's knot pulled inside him. Once he found the swollen gland his lips closed around it before sinking his teeth into the flesh. 

Eren screamed as Levi had, his Knot growing impossibly tighter as he rocked as much as it would allow, spurting even more of himself inside the Omega as their connection became complete, linking them on every level imaginable.

It was a Heat like no other, a little shorter than the other's he had shared with the Alpha, but bonding had intensified everything; every touch, every kiss, every thought. 

It was overwhelmingly perfect.

_"Hi Ms. Ackerman, Hi Levi." The boy smiled happily, his large green eyes staring into_ _Levi's._

_"You can call me_ _Kuchel_ _,_ _Eren_ _. Now Levi you be nice to_ _Eren_ _, he's younger than you."_ _Kuchel warned and Levi nodded before she offered Tea to their guests._

_"It's... nice"_ _Eren_ _looked at the bare walls of Levi's room._

_"I don't have very much." Levi said quietly_ _, looking at the floor._

_"That's okay! You can come up to my room and play with my toys whenever you want!"_ _Eren_ _said happily as he flopped down on Levi's bed._

_"_ _Thanks.._ _" Levi said hesitantly, watching_ _Eren_ _the smiling and oddly pleasant boy closely._

_"H_ _ow_ _old_ _are you?"_ _Eren_ _asked as Levi shyly moved to sit beside him on the bed._

_"Eight."_ _He_ _said simply._

_"Really?! But you're_ _smaller than_ _me_ _! I just turned 6_ _!"_ _Eren_ _shouted._

_"I am not smaller than you. We're the same size. Not my fault you’re like a_ _6 year old_ _troll" He snapped making the other boy_ _laugh_ _._

_"You're funny!" He said with another smile_ _, making Levi's cheeks heat up as he looked away quickly_ _._

_"Hey, maybe you're an Omega! Omega's are_ _small_ _aren’t they?"_ _Eren_ _said, Levi furrowed his brows._

_"Boys aren't Omegas!" He said though he was in no way sure of that statement_ _, all he knew was being an Omega was not a good thing._

_"No? Oh."_ _Eren_ _said, losing his smile with a look of deep thought on his face_ _._

_"I don’t know. Are they? I don't want to be one, my mom is one and she said being an Omega is hard. She usually comes home with bruises and we lived in a bad neighborhood." Levi said quietly._

_"My mom says Omegas are precious and they need to be protected! Hey maybe I'll be an Alpha!_ _You can be my Omega, I'll keep you safe!"_ _Eren_ _said smiling brightly._

_"O-okay."_

_"Hey look, Levi's playing with the Kindergartners again! What a loser!"_

_"Don’t you talk about my Omega that way!"_

_"Your Omega?"_

_"_ _Yes_ _my Omega! I'm going to protect him from people like you!"_

_"Oh yeah? How?"_

_Six year old_ _Eren charged at Reiner with a shout before the larger boy p_ _ushed_ _him knocking him on the ground._

_"Don't you touch him!" Levi growled before swinging hard and punching Reiner hard in the face, knocking the large boy off his feet._  

_"You went all the way over to my school just to get my home_ _work for me?"_

_"I'm your Alpha, this is part of taking care of_ _you!_ _"_

_"_ _Thanks_ _Eren."_

_Eren beamed and moved in closer, leaning against Levi's pillows as he put his arm around the older boy._

_"Eren, I'm sweaty and gross." Levi said bashfully, trying to move away._

_"I_ _think you're beautiful and you smell really nice." Eren said, nosing at the scent gland on Levi's neck._ _"I wish I was a real Alpha, then I could take care of you properly."_

_"Eren you're_ _probably not_ _going to present until you're 14, I'll only be 16. I don_ _'t think we should mate until we're at least both out of_ _high school_ _." Levi said and Eren defl_ _ated._

_"Really? But that's so long from now." He whined, Levi raised a brow._

_"You're not helping your case." He said._

_"I just want to help y_ _ou." Eren whispered_ _._

_"Yeah well, I don’t want to get pregnant while I'm still in_ _high school_ _." Levi said and watched Eren's go from_ _thoughtful to giddy as a big smile stretched across his face._

_"No!" Levi growled before he could say anything._

_"I know I know. After high school. But_ _maybe.._ _When we're_ _grown_ _ups_ _..." He asked._

_"Maybe. We'll talk about it then." Levi said gruffly. Eren just smiled happily and leaned back on to the pillow as Levi cuddled into him and they watched_ _tv_ _together_ _._

_"I-it's you." Eren whispered and Levi could only nod as he looked up at the Alpha. Eren finally_ _allowed_ _himself_ _to give in and he pulled Levi into his chest; strong arms wrapping around Levi and enveloping him in warmth and a strong yet soothing scent that was_ _unfamiliar_ _yet so Eren it couldn't have belonged to anyone else. "I never thought I'd see you again." Eren whispered, his voice muffled as his face was bu_ _r_ _ied in Levi's hair._

_"You have a girlfriend?" Levi asked quietly, Eren nodded._

_"Her name is Mina."_

_He finally calmed himself down, fixed his hair in the mirror and was turning to leave when something caught his eye. He moved back over to the sink, reaching into it and picking up the single blue flower petal; his eyes staring at it in shock._

_"Fuck..."_

_"Do you... do you think if I wasn't with Mina, we could..." He asked almost nervously._

_Levi's eyes widened at the implied words, was Eren saying what he thought he was saying? Or was Levi hearing what he wanted to hear?_

_He looked up into Eren's beautiful eyes, they got more beautiful with each passing day, more_ _mesmerizing_ _the longer you looked into them. The pink on Eren's cheeks told Levi that he hadn't imagined it, Eren was; in not so many words, asking if they could try something if he were a single man._

_"Yeah." He said simply, a soft smile on his face._ _Eren's face morphed from nervous to a full bodied, blinding smile._

_"Yeah?" He asked and Levi nodded shyly_ _._

_"Cool." He said simply, nothing more, nothing less, but it was_ _enough for the time being._

_"I’ll talk to you tomorrow?" He asked._

_"Yeah." Levi said and Eren leaned down, pressing a gently kiss to Levi's cheek before smiling again and turning to leave with a wave._

_"Mina's Pregnant."_

_"I lost his baby." Levi whispered brokenly, feeling_ _Hange_ _nod against his head._

_"I know. I'm so sorry Levi." She said, rocking him gently as fresh tears began to fall._

_"I wanted to see you." Levi whispered hoarsely._

_"You did?"_ _Eren_ _asked, perking up at the words._

_"I wanted to say goodbye." Levi said, willing himself not to cry._

_"I'll make you fall in love with me all over again. I promise!"_

Levi woke up with tears in his eyes. His Heat had finally lifted and the sun was shining in through the window as he lay curled into Eren's arms as the Alpha slept beside him.

Levi watched Eren's beautiful face, as tears streamed down his own, biting back a sob. The muted noise and the slight trembling enough to stir the Alpha from his sleep, green eyes widening as he shifted for a closer look.

"Levi? What's wrong?" He asked, hand moving to hold the smaller man's face as a thumb wiped some of the tears.

"I remember." Levi whispered.

"You remember?" Eren asked, eyes filled with shock and confusion.

"Everything. I remember them all. Good and bad." Levi whispered, staring into Eren's eyes.

"A-and?" Eren asked, his voice quivering with fear.

"I love you." Levi said, Eren's eyes widening even more.

"I didn't think I could love you more than I did. But with everything... the pain, the happiness. Remembering how you made me fall in love with you again, now knowing how I felt before. I love you so much I can't put it into words." Levi said, a smile stretching over his face.

"I love you so much." Eren smiled, pinning Levi against the pillow and kissing him with all the love and passion only reinforced by their newly created bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is timeline? Trying to keep track is almost impossible. I should have written it down somewhere.
> 
> Also, holy cow! every time I go back into previous chapters I find spelling mistakes and word errors. How do you guys even read this?  
> I probably should go back through the entire thing and fix it... or get a Beta reader for future fics. Though I don't know anyone so..
> 
> I'm going to stop guessing on how many chapters are left. I was going to stop it before now but then a few people were asking for their lives after everything gets better. So I'm not sure how much is left but it is close to finished. we'll see what happens.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I really hope you liked it!  
> Please tell me what you think!   
> Comments and Kudos mean everything to me! (600+ is insane!!)
> 
> <3


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Complete self indulgence ahead! 
> 
> I was having a bit of writers block and what better way to overcome it than to have some shameless smut? 
> 
> Also, while I am all about bottom Levi, I do like them to switch once in a while  
> (I am not a homosexual man but I have to assume they don’t do it the same way every time. Though I could be wrong, it's not something I would ever ask someone because you know... personal, private, and none of my business) 
> 
> So if you're not a fan of bottom Eren and don't want to read it, skip the first ~1500 words

 

Levi and Eren barely left their bedroom for the week after Levi's heat had passed; with the deep and intense emotional connection they had formed with their bond, they could barely stand to be apart from each other, even for a moment.

He felt tears slip from his eyes as Eren locked them together and held him in his arms safely.

"What's wrong?" Eren whispered, wiping the small stream with his thumb.

"Nothing." Levi shook his head, smiling at his Alpha. "I'm perfect, everything is perfect." He said.

"Then why are you crying?" Eren asked, sweeping a stray hair from Levi's face as the tears refused to stop.

"It's just so overwhelming." Levi whispered, looking into Eren's beautiful green eyes; eyes he had dreamt about for years, eyes he had longed for, and the last three years he had.

All the love he had felt for Eren, all the pain that he had gone through, the emotions and completion he hadn't known he felt when Eren was finally his. Everything he felt and the love and emotions Eren felt for him in return, flowing through their bond, it was intense and almost too much for him to handle.

Eren's eyes softened and he nodded. "I know, it's like I can feel everything you feel on top of my own emotions that seem to be on overdrive. I'm sorry if it's too much." He said.

"It's not." Levi said, pulling Eren down into a kiss. "I want to feel everything with you." He whispered.

"I want to feel everything with you too. I love you so much." Eren said, rolling them over when his knot finally broke, and pinning Levi to the bed to kiss him passionately.

"Everything?" Levi asked, looking up at the Alpha who nodded with a smile. "How about we switch places then." He smirked.

"Sure." Eren said, sucking on Levi's neck lightly.

"Wait, what?" Levi asked, eyes wide as he pushed the Alpha back, searching his face for the joke behind his words.

"Why wouldn't I?" Eren smiled.

"B-because, you're an Alpha!" Levi panicked.

"I think you of all people know should know the difference of that." Eren laughed. "Haven't you threatened every person who has glanced at Mike and Erwin the wrong way for the past 10 years?" He asked.

"Eleven actually." Levi said quietly.

"And do you think they've both topped every time?" Eren smirked.

"I've seen Erwin's bare ass on my couch enough time to know the difference of that." Levi said.

"Only an Alpha insecure in himself would refuse to explore all of his options with the man he loves." Eren said, holding Levi's face in his hand as he stared into his eyes.

"But what if it's terrible? What if I'm terrible? I'm an Omega, I have like nothing down there, you probably wouldn't even feel it." Levi insisted, looking away bashfully.

"You mean down here?" Eren asked, his voice low and seductive as his hand trailed down Levi's body, fingers enclosing around his soft member, he gasped at the contact, feeling his most sensitive part springing to life once more. "You seem more than adequate to me." Eren hummed, pressing his lips to Levi's as the Omega moaned with the twist of his Alpha's wrist.

"You want to  _now_?" Levi asked, his breath coming out short and his back arching as his erection swelled.

"Only if you want to." Eren whispered with a smile, mouthing at Levi's scent gland and driving him crazy.

Levi groaned, moving to sit up and pushing Eren down onto the bed before attacking his lips, hands moving over the hard muscles of Eren's chest. "Do we have anything?" He whispered as his hand began to stroke Eren's growing arousal slowly.

Eren leaned over and rummaged through the night stand, pulling out the small bottle of lube. "I hope this stuff doesn't expire." He laughed, looking at the bottle they had bought three years before and had never had a use for due to Levi's physiology.

"I'm sure it's fine." Levi said, taking the bottle and settling himself between the Alpha's legs, looking up at him nervously.

"You're so cute." Eren said, leaning up on his elbows and looking at him. "It's going to be fine, just put some on your fingers and stretch me like I do for you." He smiled.

The soft look in Eren's eyes never failed to calm Levi down when he needed it most. Here was his husband; a strong, powerful Alpha who trusted him to no end, was willing to submit to him with no hesitation. Levi nodded, following Eren's instructions and sliding a slippery finger inside.

Eren moaned and rocked his hips slightly, Levi assumed it was mostly for his benefit as he really didn't know what he was doing, but even knowing the difference it still helped his confidence. 

He let his mind wander as his eyes moved over Eren's body; the dips and curves of his muscles, the light tan that stretched over his skin. He was beautiful, the most beautiful person Levi had ever seen, Levi wanted to make him feel as good as Eren made him feel every time. 

He thought of what he liked as he added another finger, moving around to stretch before crooking them up against the small bump inside.

A harsh gasp left Eren's lips as his body tensed. "There you go, you're doing great." He said through heavy breaths as Levi continued to rub that spot inside of him. 

Levi smiled at the praise, letting his other hand circle around Eren's erection, pumping him to full hardness as his fingers still worked inside. 

Eren scent rolled off him, surrounding them and adding to Levi's own arousal. He felt himself leak onto the bed sheets as he continued to pleasure his husband, his own erection swollen and neglected but he couldn't care when he was causing his Alpha to squirm the way he was.

"L-levi. I'm ready. I don't want to cum without you inside me." Eren whispered, sitting up and pulling Levi onto his lap as he kissed him roughly. 

Levi nodded as he wrapped his arms around Eren's neck tightly and grinded himself against Eren's stomach and whimpering softly.

"You're so wet, did you enjoy that as much as I did?" Eren chuckled, sliding his fingers lightly over Levi's entrance as it dripped with his own slick and Eren's from their earlier activities. Levi could only nod as pleasure and emotion overwhelmed him once again.

Eren smiled and helped them both into position, Levi heart clenched as the action; even when he was supposed to be in charge, his Alpha still managed to take care of him when he needed it. 

Levi took a deep breath and hooked his arms underneath Eren's legs, lifting his hips up slightly before pouring some lube over his aching erection and lining himself up. "Ready?" He whispered and Eren nodded with a bright smile before Levi slowly pushed in.

He trembled as he bottomed out, waiting for Eren's body to adjust to the intrusion. The sensation overpowering as Eren clenched around his oversensitive erection; being a male Omega, it was much more sensitive than that of an Alpha or Beta.

He began to move once Eren gave him the go ahead, rocking his hips slowly at first but gaining momentum as Eren's moans and gasps boosted his confidence. If the Alpha was faking it, he was doing a very good job and it was taking everything Levi had to stop himself from climaxing too early.

"E-eren. I-I'm sorry, I c-can't." Levi whimpered as his body shook with each thrust.

"You doing amazing Levi. I'm so close." Eren panted, leaning up to pull the petite man into a kiss.

"I love you." Levi whispered, stroking Eren's erection, feeling the knot forming at the bottom as he edged him closer.

Eren gasped as he climaxed; spurting warm and sticky over their stomachs and walls clenching around Levi, causing his own orgasm to overtake him as he came inside his husband.  His body trembled as he collapsed on top of Eren, who wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight.

"That was wonderful." Eren whispered, kissing the top of his head. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Levi breathed contently as he pulled himself out and climbed up to cuddle with his Alpha. "You knot looks really strange." He laughed quietly.

"It does! I've never had one without you and I've never been able to see it." Eren chuckled as Levi tucked his head under Eren's chin and dozed off to sleep with a smile on his face.

When the Honeymoon was over they finally tore themselves away from their bedroom and put some clothes on; life had to go on after all, and they needed to get back to work.

Work was busy as always, Levi had a lot to do with his newly appointed responsibilities in the company but after nearly two weeks he was finally able to take a day off to relax and catch up with his best friend.

"He's beautiful." Levi said, holding Erwin and Mike's newly adopted second child, Falco; born less than a week after the Wedding and now a month old already, his bright eyes staring up at Levi with curiosity. 

"He is." Erwin smiled brightly, taking the empty bottle of formula from Levi and bringing it to the sink.

"How's Parental Leave? Relaxing?" Levi smirked, moving Falco to his shoulder and patting his back gently for a burp.

"With a three year old and an infant, not even a little bit." Erwin laughed. "How do you like being married? And bonded apparently." He said, tilting Levi's head to the side for a better look at the almost healed bite mark on his neck.

Levi felt himself flush, they hadn't told anyone of the bonding yet. They were unsure of how their friends would react since it was such a permanent commitment and practically unheard of these days.

"I-um..." Levi began.

"It's great. Congratulations." Erwin cut him off with a smile, putting Levi at ease; of course Erwin would support him and be happy for him with whatever he chose to do.

"Thanks. It's amazing actually. We're completely connected, I can feel how much he loves me." Levi said shyly.

"That's wonderful! Mike and I have talked about it actually. We're just unsure if it would even work between two Alpha's. There are no documented cases." Erwin explained.

"Well let me know if you ever do, you're going to need a babysitter for like a week." Levi laughed.

"That good?" Erwin chuckled as they transferred the now sleeping child to Erwin's who brought him to his crib to lay him down for a nap.

"Really good actually." Levi said, pouring the boiling water into the cups as the tired looking Alpha came back and sat to the table. "He let me top once." He added, his face beat red and his eyes not meeting Erwin's as he sat down.

"Really? Wow! Not many Alpha's would switch places, especially not for an Omega, I think I respect your husband even more now." Erwin said, eyes wide with surprise.

"I know. It probably wasn't very good, but he seemed to enjoy it." Levi said, still blushing.

"There's a stigma with Alpha's bottoming and it's bull shit. Mike is more of a  _real_  Alpha than I am in personality and he has never had a problem with me topping. Only an insecure Alpha would." Erwin explained, sipping his tea.

"That's what Eren said." Levi nodded.

"Good, because we'd kick his ass if he thought otherwise." Erwin smiled.

"Like you did when I was in the hospital?" Levi asked, remembering the black eye Erwin had given Eren when he found out about the Hanahaki.

"Yeah." Erwin laughed. "He told you that?" He asked.

"Actually, no he didn't. There's something else that happened when we bonded, I wanted to tell you." Levi began, Erwin perking up in interest. "I got my memories back. All of them." He added quietly.

Erwin didn't say anything, he just stared wide eyed at him for a moment before suddenly pulling him into a tight hug. "Levi! That is so amazing!" He sobbed.

"Are you crying?" Levi grinned, pulling away enough to look up at the Alpha whose eyes were streaming tears.

"I'm sorry, I've barely slept in weeks, but I'm so happy! Everything you've been though, you deserve this." Erwin sniffled.

"Thanks." Levi said, curling back into the hug and just holding his almost weeping friend for another moment. He was definitely going to offer to babysit more, the poor man was exhausted.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Mike joked, walking into the kitchen holding takeout. "I work all day and come back to see an Omega in my husbands arms." He added.

"Daddy, that's just Uncle Levi!" Farlan shouted, with a grin, hurrying over to hug them.

"Sorry, my mistake." Mike grinned, leaning down to kiss his husband.

"Hey Buddy, sorry I haven't visited in a while." Levi smiled, moving back to his seat and pulling the toddler onto his lap.

"It's okay. Dad said you had to spend time with Uncle Eren." Farlan shrugged as Mike placed a meal in front of him.

"That's true. So, I hear you're the best big brother in the world." Levi said with a smile.

"Falco cries a lot." Farlan said simply, popping a fry into his mouth.

"He's a baby." Levi chuckled.

"You cried a lot when you were a baby too." Erwin said.

"Oh." Farlan said.

"Babies are a lot of work, so you have to be an extra good boy for your parents, okay?" Levi said.

"Okay!" Farlan grinned. "Are you going to have a baby now too?" He asked.

"Farlan, that's not a nice question to ask." Erwin said, looking at Levi apologetically."

"Oh. Sorry." Farlan said sadly.

"No it's alright." Levi smiled, bouncing the child on his knee. "I can't have a baby. But it's okay because I have you and Falco, right?" He said, Farlan's face brightening up as he nodded happily.

"So anytime I need a hug from my baby I just come find you right?" Levi added.

"Yes!!" Farlan shouted, turning around and throwing his arms around Levi's neck and squeezing.

"Thanks Bud." Levi smiled before getting up and setting Farlan down on the chair.

"Well I'm going to head out, but don’t hesitate to call if you need anything." Levi said, grabbing his jacket.

"You don't have to go, we have plenty of food." Mike said

"Thanks, but I have to pick Eren up at work then we're having dinner with his parents." Levi explained before saying goodbye and heading out.

"I missed you." Eren said, climbing into the car and instantly moving in to kiss Levi's neck.

"I missed you too, but this is not a parking spot!" Levi demanded, pushing the Alpha and pulling away from the building.

"Fine." Eren laughed. "But when we get home..."

"We’re going to your parent's house for dinner remember?" Levi raised a brow.

"Fuck!" Eren grumbled, making Levi chuckle as he drove towards the Jaegar's home.

"Oh hello, do we know each other? You look familiar but..." Carla said, opening the door for them.

"Mom." Eren rolled his eyes.

"I understand you're married, but a month without seeing your mother?" She scolded, pulling them both into a hug.

"Sorry Carla, work's been crazy." Levi said as she let go, raising an eyebrow and about to say something when her focus was caught

"What is.." She gasped, grabbing them both by the chin and turning their heads to the side.

"Hey mom, we have some news." Eren laughed nervously.

"You do realize this is permanent right? You are bonded for life whether or not you want to stay in your relationship." She said.

"We know." Eren nodded.

"We've been in love since we were children." Levi added.

"We were destined to be together, everything that tried to keep up apart, it didn't work. We overcame everything and we want to be together the rest of our lives." Eren explained.

Carla pulled them into another hug. "Then I am so happy for you!" She said leading them into the living room.

"Kuchel and I always said you two were destined to be together. We often talked about it, she's the one that brought up fated mates in the first place." Carla explained.

"You didn't tell me that." Eren said.

"I wanted you to figure it out for yourself. Let me tell you I nearly popped you one a few times, especially when you wouldn't break up with Mina." Carla grinned.

"He almost did, then she pulled that pregnancy thing. I heard she and Thomas are doing pretty good though." Levi said.

"They are, I was speaking to her mother a while ago. Her father gave Thomas a job, they got married, a little house, and Teddy is doing well." Carla explained.

"That's good. Just because Levi is the only one for me doesn't mean I don't want her to be happy." Eren said, bringing Levi's hand up to kiss the back of it, Levi smiling at his husband, the sweetest man he knew.

"Hey kids, long time no see." Grisha smirked, as he walked into the room; just home from work. "Married life treating you well?" He asked, sitting down beside his wife.

"Very." Eren smiled.

"Eren, why don't you tell your father what you and Levi did while I finish up dinner." Carla said standing up.

"Ugh, I'm not sure I want so much detail." Grisha wrinkled his nose, earning himself a light smack on the arm from Carla.

"That's not what I meant." She grumbled and headed toward the kitchen.

"I'll help you!" Levi said, catching up with her.

"Thank you, Levi." She smiled warmly, linking her arm with his. "How are you feeling? You're looking a little pale. And thin." She added.

"I'm fine. A little tired I guess, work's been crazy so it's taking a bit longer to recover from my heat, especially with the bonding." He explained.

"You really need to take it easy, if this job is too much..." Carla began.

"It's not. I've almost worked my way up to planning." Levi said, his stomach turning as he dished salmon onto the four plates. 

Carla's salmon was to die for, one of Levi's favorite meals, it was odd for him to react this way. Maybe his job was too stressful, the lack of sleep the last couple weeks must be getting to him.

"Alright, just take care of yourself okay? Or at least let Eren do it." Carla nudged him playfully.

"He does." Levi smiled softly. "Just like he always wanted." He laughed.

"Yes, I remember him crying his eyes out during your first Heat. All he wanted to do was help you, he hadn't even presented yet but his body reacted so strongly." She chuckled fondly.

"Yeah I remember, he ran out of the room. I wanted to follow him but I was embarrassed and didn't know what to do." Levi said.

"You were both so young, there was nothing you could... you remember?" Carla asked, looking up at him with wide, shocked eyes.

"So the bonding had some side effects. I woke up two days later and I remembered everything." Levi said quietly, looking up at her with a shy grin. She dropped her serving spoon on the counter and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's all back. Eren, you, my mom. Good times, bad time." He whispered with his face buried in her shoulder.

"I'm so happy. Everything is turning out the way it was supposed to." Carla sniffled, rocking Levi in her arms as she held him tight.

"It is." Levi said, pulling away to look at her with a smile before they finished dishing up dinner and made their way out to their husbands.

The bond was a strange thing.

Levi often felt drained; he was exhausted and queasy a lot of the time, but as soon as he was in Eren's arms again he felt better, he never wanted to leave them.

"Why did we agree to go out on my day off?" Levi groaned, curling into Eren's side as the Alpha turned off his phone alarm.

"Because Annie and Bertolt bought a house by the lake and it's a beautiful summer day. You have two days off, we can stay in bed as long as you want tomorrow." Eren laughed, scratching at Levi's undercut.

Levi sighed, pulling himself tighter, letting the Alpha's morning scent swirl around him.

"Levi are you okay?" Eren asked softly. "You've been so exhausted lately, you've been stomach sick, and you haven't been eating." He said, his voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine, just feeling a little off is all. I always feel like this after a Heat." Levi smiled reassuringly.

"It’s been two months, I know they take a lot out of you but not usually this bad." Eren said.

"You know my body, it's all over the place with these things, I'm lucky I get Heats at all" Levi said, resting his head on Eren's shoulder as the larger man held him tight.

"You don't think... Was it the bonding? Is that why you're sick? Did I hurt you?" Eren panicked.

Levi looked up, climbing onto Eren and taking his face in his hands. "You didn't hurt me. Bonding with you is the best thing that could ever happen to me. It that's the reason why it's taking me a little longer to snap back then it is completely worth it." Levi insisted as Eren pulled him into a kiss.

"I love you so much." He whispered. "If you're not feeling up to it we don't have to go. Staying home and taking care of you seems like a perfect day to me." He grinned,

"No, let's go, we haven't gone swimming in forever. But I might have to take you up on that offer tomorrow." Levi purred. "Clothing optional." He added with a smirk.

"Sounds amazing." Eren growled, pinning Levi against the bed, attacking his lips with his own.

"You're late." Annie said with a raised brow and an unimpressed look on her face as she opened the door.

"And you're radiant." Eren grinned, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

She glared up at him, a slight tint of pink over her nose. "Everyone else got here an hour ago." She said, leading them inside.

"Aw, come on Annie, you know how newlyweds are easily distracted." Reiner laughed, clapping Eren on the back.

"Yeah yeah, come in, I'll show you around." Annie said, linking her arm with Levi's and giving him a soft smile

"The house is beautiful!" Levi said after the small tour. It wasn't a big house, but it was perfect for their little family of almost three. There was a large patio and a nice backyard leading down to a small beach where Mikasa, Sasha, and Connie were splashing in the water while Krista and Ymir were floating around in their inflatable boat.

"Thanks, we love it." Bertolt smiled, slipping his arm around Annie.

"Hey, come on, I'll race you to the beach!" Reiner said, pulling off his shirt and taking off toward the water.

"Cheater!" Eren shouted, not far behind.

Bert leaned down to kiss Annie on the cheek before taking off behind the other Alpha's as Annie and Levi walked leisurely down the path toward the beach.

"You don't look good." Annie said 

"Thanks." Levi smirked. "I've been getting that a lot lately to be honest." He added.

"Are you sick?" She asked.

"Nah. Just lingering Heat effects, I'm fine." Levi assured. "How about you? You look great, how's the second trimester? You're getting big" He said.

"Uncomfortable. I'm fat, my feet are swollen, and I have heartburn all the time." Annie grumbled.

"You're--"

"Pregnant not fat. I know." Annie interrupted with a huff.

"I was going to say beautiful. Not going to lie, you are quite fat." Levi smirked, earning himself a glare from the other Omega before she playfully bumped his shoulder with her own.

"Thanks." She smiled, bending down to fix the blanket Bertolt had laid out for them on the sand, before they sat down on it.

"Levi!! Come in, the water's great!" Connie yelled from a few meters out into the lake. Levi waved him off with a smile as Sasha dunked him under.

"You can go, don't worry about me." Annie said, leaning back to soak up the suns heat.

"Nah, maybe later." Levi said getting comfortable and watching Eren and Reiner racing to the large rock in the middle of the pond; Ymir, Bertolt, and Mikasa soon joining in.

"Alpha's" Krista laughed with an eye roll as she made her way up the beach and plopped down on the blanket.

"Yeah, always gotta see whos dick is bigger." Annie scoffed.

"It's definitely mine." Levi said. "What? I'm fucking huge!" He said when Krista laughed loudly, Annie smirking along side of her.

"Let's see then." Krista grinned, eyes moving down to Levi's shorts.

"See what?" Sasha asked as she and Connie flopped down on the blanket, spraying water droplets all over them.

"Levi's giant junk." Annie said.

"Bah!" Connie laughed loudly.

"Excuse me? I could be a monster." Levi crossed his arms.

"You forget, Connie and I were there your heat started. When you and Eren hadn't been together very long." Annie smiled.

"Right... Shit. Fine." Levi huffed with a small smirk.

"I hear ya man, this Male Omega thing is bullshit sometimes." Connie laughed.

"I dunno, I'm a big fan of my Male Omega." Reiner called out as he walked up the beach, Eren in tow.

"Who won?" Levi asked, smiling up at Eren as the Alpha sat behind him, pulling him into his chest.

"Bertolt actually. He didn't even start when we did, dude is like a fish." Eren laughed as the rest of the group got comfortable on this sand.

"I have really long limbs, it makes me fast in the water." Bert said shyly.

"So, baby cousin, haven't seen you in a while." Mikasa said with a grin.

"Yeah, sorry, work's been crazy." Levi said.

"By the look of that hickey, work's not the only thing that's been crazy." Ymir grinned and Levi felt his cheeks flush as his fingers moved up to touch the raised mating mark on his neck.

"Wait." Mikasa said, her eyes going wide as he pulled Levi closer, as much as Eren's arms would allow. "That's not a hickey, that's a bite mark. You bonded him!!" She said, her eyes flashing in anger as she looked up at Eren.

"Holy shit! You did!" Sasha exclaimed as she and Connie leaned closer to get a better look.

"Wow! That's so great guys!!" Krista said happily.

"Great? This is not great! Levi how could you do this!" Mikasa shouted, panic in her voice and lacing her angry scent.

Levi was at a loss for words as he stared at her, he knew bonding wasn't a regular thing anymore but he wasn't expecting Mikasa to react so strongly to it.

"Because I love him." He said quietly, feeling the growl rumbling in Eren's chest behind him, his dominating scent swirling around them.

"But what if he stops loving you back!" Mikasa shouted, as though Eren weren't even there. "Did you do any research? Did you listen in school when they taught us about it? It's dangerous for the Omega, that's why people stopped doing it a century ago!"

"I'm not going to hurt him. I love him and I will for the rest of my life." Eren insisted, his voice as dangerous as his scent, though his hold on Levi was nothing but gentle and protective.

"Levi, you almost died because of him! He chose someone else over you. What if he does it again? The bond doesn't break but an Alpha can reject the Omega. It's painful and Omega's don't usually live through it, I can't let that happen to you!" She insisted, completely ignoring Eren, staring at Levi with tears forming in her eyes.

"Mikasa, that's not going to happen." Levi said softly.

"That's right. It won't." Eren's voice was firm and dominant. "I was an idiot before but believe me, I learned my lesson and I will never do anything to cause him pain again. I love him, I always have. I don't care if you believe me, Levi does and he's all that matters to me." He said.

"If you loved him so much then how could you do this to him? He doesn't even remember you. You say you've loved him since you were children, but he's only known you for three years! Knowing and remembering are very different things!" Mikasa spat.

"Hey Mikasa, come on. They’ve been through a lot." Reiner said tentatively in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"No! I'm not dumb, I know how much they love each other, I can see how devoted and protective Eren is to him and I'm happy they found each other. If I didn't think Eren's feelings were true I wouldn't have let him near Levi." Mikasa said, eyes moving to Eren. "But convincing him to do this? Giving yourself so much power over him." Her voice broke as a tear rolled down her face.

Levi's heart ached at the sight of his cousin looking so sad and vulnerable, he felt himself moving away from the safety of Eren's arms and toward his cousin, wrapping her un a hug.

"I love him. He didn't convince me to do this, I decided on my own and it was a mutual decision and I marked him too. We've had this unbreakable bond, since the day we met; one not even my Hanahaki or my memory loss could break. I could feel it when I barely even knew who he was." Levi explained.

"I don’t want you to get hurt again." She whispered.

"I'm not going to. At least not because of Eren." He assured. "The bond gave me my memories back. I loved him enough without them, I love him even more now. Please believe that I'll be safe with him." Levi said, holding her tight and petting her hair as her tears soaked through his shirt.

"I have to go." Mikasa said, pushing Levi away and walking swiftly towards down the beach as Levi watched after her.

"Don't be too hard on her, you know how protective she gets, especially for the people she loves the most." Sasha said.   
"I know." Levi nodded sadly.

"But hey, you got your memories back, That's great!" Connie said with a big smile.

"Thanks." Levi said, sitting back down beside Eren who pulled him in, resting his chin on his shoulder and letting out a calming scent. "It's been an eventful few weeks." He added, smiling softly at his husband.

"Yeah, we're so happy for you." Krista said, moving over to hug them both.

"Yeah, welcome back shorty." Ymir grinned.

"I always knew you two were something special." Reiner said.

"So did I." Eren smiled, giving Levi a squeeze.

"I actually wanted to thank you all. You were all so kind and patient with me when I lost my memories. I appreciated it then but now that I know the difference... you guys are really amazing." Levi said quietly.

"Of course Levi! We love you." Annie said.

"Yeah we'd do anything for you, you've been one of our best friends since we were kids." Reiner smiled.

"Yeah, ever since you knocked Reiner on his ass." Ymir laughed.

"Yeah well, he was messing with my Alpha." Levi chuckled.

"My Hero." Eren smiled, kissing his blushing cheek. 

"Hey, I'm going to go talk to Mikasa." Levi said quietly, moving to get up as Eren gave him a nod.

"Hey."  Levi said, climbing the boulder pile Mikasa was sitting on as she looked out at the water.

"Hey." She said quietly, not looking at him. "I'm sorry I overreacted." She added.

"It's alright." Levi said, watching the late morning sun reflecting off the water.

"I won't apologize for being worried about you. You might be a tough Omega but you still need to be protected." She said.

"I know. I've often found it annoying how protective you were but I've always loved you for it too. But I don't need protection from Eren." Levi said, shifting closer and laying his head on her shoulder.

"I hope so." She said quietly. "It's hard not to be worried when you look like that." Mikasa said, glancing over him. "Is he even taking care of you?"

"He is I promise. He's been fussing over me constantly. I will admit Bonding has really taken its toll on me, but it was completely worth it. I'll be okay I promise." Levi said.

"Sasha and I are going to come over and cook for you until you gain some weight back." Mikasa said.

"Promise?" Levi smiled as she put an arm around him, a smile on her face.

"We okay?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, we're okay." She said. "I'm still going to kill him if he hurts you." She added.

"Okay." Levi said, leaning against his cousin contently.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, telling each other about the past couple months; it had been the longest that had ever gone without seeing each other, they hadn't realized how much they had missed the other.

After they went back to the group for lunch Eren asked Krista and Ymir if they could borrow their inflatable boat, he and Levi getting in and drifting through the water.

"You and Mikasa made up." Eren said as they laid on the cushion-y bottom of the raft, Levi curled into his Alpha's side with his head resting on the larger man's arm.

"We did." Levi said, finger trailing over the dips and curves of Eren's bare chest. "She's just worried. You're not upset, are you?" He asked, looking up into Eren's eyes.

"No, I understand, I'm glad she feels so protective of you. Not necessarily from me, but you're her baby cousin, what can you expect." Eren grinned as Levi glared.

"I am three year older than both of you." He said.

"The years we were born may be three years apart but in reality, you are barely more than two." Eren laughed.

"I hate you." Levi mumbled, tucking his head under Eren's chin.

"You looove me." Eren laughed. "And you're adorable when you pout."

"I do love you." Levi said, getting up to lean over his beautiful husband. "More than anything." He added, leaning down to kiss him softly.

"Me too. Forever." Eren said, turning them over and pinning Levi against the bottom of the boat as it rocked gently in the current. Eren kissing him deeply as he pulled at the hem of his t-shirt.

"You really think having sex in a boat is a good idea?" Levi asked, raising a brow as Eren slipped Levi's shirt over his head.

"Probably not. I just want to feel you against me." Eren said, pressing their bodies together, kissing over Levi's neck, lips sucking on his sensitive bond mark as Levi moaned. "You're so beautiful. How did I get so lucky to have such an amazing, beautiful Omega to love me?" He whispered as his lips moved down Levi's body.

"Just by being you." Levi whispered, hissing in pain as Eren's teeth grazed over a nipple.

Eren popped up with wide eyes, "Did I hurt you?" He asked, worry coming through his scent.

"No, just a little tender." Levi said, pulling Eren back down to him, connecting their lips once more.

"I suppose I can be a little rough sometimes." Eren said, fingers moving over the delicate skin and pinching lightly; Levi's back arching him into the touch, a jolt of arousal in his groin. Eren smiled, grinding his body against the Omega.

Levi gasped at the touch, lifting his hips as Eren pulled off his shorts slowly; his erection standing proud in the summer air before Eren's hand closed around it, pumping firmly. He reached for Eren's shorts, pulling them down enough to free the Alpha's own arousal before the other man moved against him, circling his hand around them both, lips moving against each other's passionately as he brought them both closer to the edge.

Levi's arms wrapped around Eren's neck tightly as he came; releasing over them both, Eren not far behind, holding each other and riding out their orgasms.

Levi looked up into Eren's eyes with a soft smile before he was suddenly under the water, Eren grabbing him and pulling him to the surface.

"What the fuck?" Eren shouted, holding Levi above the water that was almost too deep for Eren to stand comfortably.

"Figured you two needed a cool down." Reiner said with a booming laugh.

"Dude, no getting busy in another Alpha's boat." Connie grinned, popped up out of the water, holding Levi's swim shorts and t-shirt. Levi grabbed them, a deep blush on his face as he tried to pull the shorts on in the water.

"We're heading out to grab some stuff to barbeque, you coming?" Reiner asked, grabbing the boat before they made their way back to shore.

"Yeah alright. You want to go?" Eren asked as they walked ashore, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around Levi's shoulders.

"Nah, I'm going to hang with Annie and Krista." Levi said.

"Yeah, me too, pick up a potato salad." Connie said, pecking his boyfriend on the lips before catching up with Levi.

"You had sex in my boat?" Krista said with a raised brow, trying to hide the smirk on her lips.

"Not... completely." Levi said, looking away.

"Nice." She grinned, as Levi pulled on his damp shirt.

"This place is really amazing. Maybe Reiner and I should get a house by the beach." Connie said, looking around.

"We love it. It's perfect for our little family." Annie smiled, her hand resting on her swollen belly.

"Well we wouldn't need it for that." Connie chuckled.

"You're not having kids?" Krista asked, sipping her lemonade.

"Definitely not! I love kids but they have to belong to someone else. I take my birth control very seriously." He grinned, before his eyes widened and glanced over to Levi, "Aw shit, I'm sorry"

"Don't be! Just because I can't have kids doesn't mean you are obligated to have them because you can." Levi said, waving him off with a smile.

"Thanks." Connie said with a soft smile.

"Were you trying?" Annie asked.

"Yeah, it didn't work out. We stopped hoping for it over a year ago." Levi shrugged, getting sad looks from the other three Omega's. "it's fine. We're happy just the two of us." He assured.

"That's sweet. Tell us about bonding! What's it like?" Krista asked, leaning forward with interest.

"It's... intense. It's like I can feel any strong emotion Eren has, at first it was really hard to be away from him. Even now I don't want to be too far but that first week we barely got out of bed." Levi explained, shifting uncomfortably under the scratchy, partially dry shirt he was wearing.

"That sounds fun. Maybe I'll talk to Ymir about it." Krista grinned.

"You okay?" Annie asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm good." Levi said, pulling the shirt away from his body, as she raised a brow.

"A little tender and irritated." He said, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment.

"I have some good cream for that." Annie said.

"No no, it's fine." Levi waved her off, hissing quietly as he let go of his shirt.

"I'm getting it, it's really amazing stuff." Annie said simply, getting up and heading inside.

"Is that a regular Omega thing? I've never had that." Connie said curiously.

"Me either." Krista said.

"I didn't until recently. It's uncomfortable." Levi said, pulling off the shirt and wrapping the towel around himself instead as Annie came back with the cream.

"Thanks." Levi said quietly, putting some on his finger and rubbing it into the oversensitive skin under the towel bashfully.

"You've been sick right? Since your Heat?" Annie asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I think so. Maybe a little after." Levi said.

"And how long has your chest been swollen like that?" She asked.

"I..um.. I'm not sure. A couple weeks?" He said.

"Wait... you're not..." Connie said, his eyes wide and shining in excitement.

"N-no. I can't..." Levi said, eyes widening in realization.

"Levi! You have the symptoms!" Krista exclaimed happily.

"Your nipples are even dark." Annie said, a small smile on her face. "You're going through a lot of what I did." She said.

Levi was speechless as he looked at his smiling friends. He couldn't be pregnant. They had tried so hard, for so long and nothing had happened. How could he be now?

The bonding....

It fixed his mind. Maybe it fixed his body too. Maybe the fatigue and nausea weren't lingering heat affects, maybe it was symptoms.

"I have a home pregnancy test upstairs, come on." Annie said, taking his hand and leading him upstairs, the others following close behind.

Levi locked himself in the bathroom, trying to work up the courage to take the test. He had taken so many tests, all turning into disappointment. He always tried not to get his hopes up, always failing horribly, but this time he couldn't even pretend.

He had resigned himself to the fact that they were never going to have a baby, had convinced himself that they didn't need one. But as he opened the packaging with trembling fingers he couldn't help but to hope.

He couldn't look at it as he snapped on the little blue cap; feeling like throwing up as he waited for the little bars to show up, startling out of his thoughts by the knock on the door.

"Levi? Are you sick? Annie said you've been in there a while, are you okay?" Eren's worried voice came through the locked door.

"I-I'm fine." Levi called out, his voice uncontrollably shaky.

"What's wrong? Levi, open the door! Please." Eren called, worry in his voice as the knob wiggled.

Levi took a deep breath, his heart beating rapidly as he looked down at the little white stick. Eyes filling with tears and blurring the sight of the display windows.

He made his way to the door, unlocking it and opening it slowly, revealing his concerned Alpha.

"Levi? What happened?" Eren asked, hands cupping Levi's face and wiping away the tears that streamed down his face as he stared into Eren's eyes.

"E-eren. I..." Levi began, holding the test out for Eren, the Alpha's eyes moving to the stick before taking and inspecting it. His eyes widening as he looked back at Levi.

"P-plus sign means pregnant right?" He asked, eyes filling with tears as Levi nodded, his lips stretching into a smile.

The tears in Eren's eyes overflowed, rolling down his cheeks in steady streams as he fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around Levi's waist, hugging him tight while leaning his head against Levi's flat stomach.

"I can't believe.... Levi... I... I love you so much." Eren sobbed as Levi sunk down into Eren's lap, wrapping his arms around the Alpha's neck and kissing him lovingly.

"We're going to have a baby."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I'm not really even trying for weekly anymore. Going through a bit of a depressive episode and it's just too much with everything that's been going on.  
> I hope this chapter made up for it though.
> 
> How 'bout that ending hey?
> 
> I bet that's what you wanted all along!   
> I hope the fluffiness (and sexy times) are okay, I honestly have no idea, you're going to have to let me know what you think :D
> 
> I hope you liked it!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy guys.
> 
> You know what I'm not good at? Sappy stuff.  
> I stare at it for hours.  
> Is it too sappy? is it not sappy enough? Is this what you guys want or am I deviating away from the tone of the story too much?
> 
> It's kind of stressing, but hopefully you guys like it.
> 
> On another note!  
> I got a recent comment on my first fic "100% Not Weird!" saying the grammar and formatting sucked (my words not hers, it was actually a pretty good/constructive comment)  
> Also I didn't know how to format ao3 at the time, I was new.
> 
> So I was thinking about editing and redoing that story, because it was my first one, I really liked it and I'd love to make it better. 
> 
> Apparently I have 61 people subscribed to me (And 64 on that story but that probably overlaps a bit) so you'll get a notification if I do fix it up, but I was just wondering if anyone would be interested in something like that?
> 
> Please let me know!  
> And 61 subscribers! Hooooooly! You guys are amazing and I love you!

Levi lay in bed, unable to sleep. He stared at the ceiling, fingers slowly running through Eren's hair as the Alpha slept quietly; his arm wrapped around Levi's hips and head on his stomach. He hadn't moved from that spot since they got into bed the night before.

So many things were running through his head. How did this happen? The doctors told him it wouldn't, they told him that his body didn't work the way it was supposed to and he would never have a child of his own.

What if that was still true? He had gotten pregnant before... what if he...

"Hey, what's wrong?" Eren asked, drawing Levi out of his thought; he hadn't even noticed the Alpha stirring or moving up closer to him, staring intensely into his eyes.

"N-nothing." Levi said, turning over to face him with a smile.

Eren's eyes softened as his hand moved up to his face, stroking his cheek with his thumb. "When are you going to figure out that I know when something is bothering you." He said.

Levi sighed, shifting to cuddle into Eren's chest and tucking his head under his chin; Eren's arms wrapping around him securely. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." Eren said, rubbing Levi's back, burying his nose in his hair and taking a deep breath.

"Are you happy? Levi asked quietly.

"Deliriously. I'm bonded to the most wonderful Omega in the world, and he's having my baby." Eren explained, as Levi nodded, tightening his grip around Eren.

"Seriously, what's wrong? You're worrying me." Eren said, moving them so he could look into Levi's eyes with concern.

"Are you worried about the baby?" Levi asked, nervously meeting Eren's eyes, watching them fill with understanding as he leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"No." He smiled.

"But what if I can't... What if I lose it... again." Levi said, feeling the tears that had been threatening to form for the past couple hours fill his eyes.

"You won't." Eren assured, sitting up and pulling Levi into his lap; the Omega's tears finally escaping down his face. "You are strong and healthy, we're together, and we're in love. I have no doubt that you are completely capable of carrying our child, you will do a wonderful job and I'm going to be here for all of it." He explained with a smile.

"All of it?" Levi asked bashfully.

"Every minute." Eren kissed his nose. "Every inch, every ache. I'll rub your feet, I'll give in to every weird craving, I'm going to be here with you for through every moment, for the rest of our lives." He said, between soft kissed over Levi's face.

"I love you so much." Levi said, tears still streaming, but their cause so different than they had been moments ago. 

They stayed in bed a while longer; Eren moving down in the bed and laying his head on Levi's still flat stomach and holding him close as he had done throughout the night before. Levi couldn't help but to smile as he played with his hair. 

Eren seemed so happy, so excited, and it was because of Levi, because of what Levi was able to do for him; he just hoped he could do it.

Levi hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep until he was gently nudged awake by Eren and the fruity smell of Earl Grey tea. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes to look up into his Alpha's eyes.

"Thank you." He smiled, sitting up and taking a sip of his favorite tea with a soft hum.

"I ran you a bath, with the lavender baby bubbles you like. Are you hungry? I'll make you anything you want." Eren asked, sitting on the bed beside him and staring at him intently.

"I'm okay." Levi laughed lightly, although Eren spoiled him most of the time anyway, he could tell it was going to get worse for the next few months. "There is one thing you can do for me." He added with a smirk.

"Yes! Anything." Eren said without hesitation.

"Will you join me in the bath?" Levi asked, a grin spreading over Eren's face.

"Of course." He said, standing up and scooping the Omega into his arms and carrying him toward the bathroom.

Levi relaxed into the hot water, leaning against his husband's chest with a sigh. There was little in life than Levi loved more than a hot bath, especially with his ridiculously gorgeous mate.

"Do you want to tell my parents today?" Eren asked, wrapping his arms around Levi and kissing his neck lightly.

"Oh right, dinner. I almost forgot." Levi said, leaning into the touch.

"Zeke and Pieck are going to be there. We don't have to say anything if you don't want to. We don't even have to go if you're not up for it." Eren said and Levi turned around in his arms; straddling his lap and looking up into his eyes.

"Do you realize your mother will murder us if we don't tell her asap." He smiled, leaning in and kissing Eren gently.

"You're right." Eren laughed, kissing him again.

"I'd like to tell them, it will make Carla happy." Levi said.

"Are you kidding? It might kill her altogether." Eren laughed.

"Yeah she was happy when we thought Mina was having your baby." Levi said.

"Can you imagine how happy she's going to be when it's you having my child?" Eren said, his lips were still smiling but his eyes were beginning to steam up.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Levi asked, surprised by the sudden change.

"I-it's just... so much has happened. So many wonderful things, these past three years have been amazing and I still can't believe I can call you my husband. It's just hard to think that I almost lost it all, I almost lost you. All because I was such an idiot." Eren explained as Levi reached up and cupped his face in his hands.

"No, babe, I thought we had moved past this. Everything is okay, we got through it, you helped me though everything; my recovery, my memory loss. Please don't be upset about it anymore." He assured.

"We've never talked about it though. Mina and the baby, not really anyway. You didn't remember her and I didn't feel the need to tell you more about it. But you remember it now don't you?" Eren said quietly.

"I do." Levi nodded.

"I almost lost you forever, even without your Hanahaki. What if Mina's baby was mine?" Eren said, a tear slipping down his cheek.

"You would have never lost me." Levi smiled, wiping it away. "Eren I was ready to call your baby my own. If you had asked me to raise your child with you I would have jumped at the chance, it wouldn't have mattered that he wasn't mine, only that he was yours." He explained with a smile.

"Really?" Eren asked, his eyes filling with wonder as he stared into Levi's.

"Of course! Eren, I've loved you since I was eight years old. You being an idiot wasn't going to stop that." Levi laughed. 

"You are amazing." Eren pulled him in for another kiss.

"It's not like you were cheating on me. We weren't together, I couldn't hold something like that against you or the baby. Honestly, I had hoped he was yours. I didn't think I'd ever be able to do this for you." Levi explained, his cheeks tinted pink and his hands moving down to his stomach.

"I felt like I was cheating on you. I held on for so long, but I should have held on longer." Eren said, his hands covering Levi's on his thin stomach.

"It all worked out." Levi whispered as he pressed his lips to Eren's. "You have me, I have you. Everything is perfect." He added quietly.

"It is." Eren smiled, pulling Levi impossibly close to him as the Omega grinded his hips against Eren's; earning a moan from his Alpha.

"Do you want to go back to bed?" Eren asked breathlessly, his grip tight on Levi's hips, helping him rick against him.

Levi shook his head. "No. I want to do this while I still can." He said, feeling Eren's hardness against his own as he moved against him.

"I can't wait until you're big and round." Eren's voice was husky as his hand reached behind Levi, circling his entrance slowly. "You're going to be so beautiful and sexy." He breathed.

"Sexy? With a fat stomach and swollen ankles?" Levi chuckled though small gasps of pleasure as Eren's fingers slipped inside.

"Absolutely. You're carrying my child, there's nothing sexier than that." Eren whispered, stretching him out.

"I'm going to hold you to that." Levi said, sinking down onto Eren's erection with a low moan and gripping Eren's shoulders tightly.

"I'll always find you beautiful." Eren said, his voice wavering slightly at the sensation as he waited for Levi adjust to his size. "Especially like this, when you're so full; trembling with pleasure, and taking me so well." He whispered.

Levi felt himself blush, looking away from Eren's and starting to move up and down on him; the angle one of his favorites as it hit his prostate on every decent. He especially loved it when Eren took him in his strong arms, bouncing him like he weighed nothing.

It didn't take long before they were locked together again, Levi cuddling into Eren's chest as they waited out his knot, listening to his heart beat and slowly dozing off to sleep in the arms of the man he loved more than life itself.

A couple hours later they were clean and ready for dinner, heading towards Eren's parents house.

Levi looked at his phone as Eren pulled into the driveway, he had been texting Hange throughout the day and hadn't gotten a reply. That wasn't like Hange, she usually responded within an hour; not even Petra was answering and she always had her phone with her.

"They're probably just busy, we'll get a hold of them." Eren smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, you're right." Levi nodded, climbing out of the car and heading toward the house with Eren's arm around him.

"Hey! There's the newlyweds!" Zeke exclaimed happily when the two walked into the living room, Zeke holding his arms out to hug his brother. "I haven't seen you since the Wedding!" He added.

"It's not my fault you moved to Paradis!" Eren laughed.

"You look good Levi." Pieck smiled, using her crutch to help her stand before Levi moved over to link arms to steady her a little more.

"Thanks, you look beautiful as always." He smiled.

"Holy shit, it is true!" Zeke said, turning Eren's head to look at the bonding mark on his neck as the younger Alpha chuckled. 

"Carla told us you bonded, and that Levi got his memories back." Zeke said, eyes moving to Levi with a smile.

"I did." Levi grinned as Zeke moved toward him, pulling him into a hug.

"That's so great." Zeke said, pulling away enough to look in his eyes. "You look radiant, seems bonding agreed with you." He added.

"It most certainly did." Carla smiled, coming into the room; hugging Eren hello before moving over to Levi and Pieck, pulling them both to sit beside her on the couch, while Grisha came into the room behind her.

They spent a while catching up; Zeke telling them about his job in Paradis, how he and Pieck had been settling in, the friends they've made.

Grisha, Zeke, and Eren talked business; what was going on in the world, what Eren was doing at work, and current events. It was a terribly boring conversation that Carla and Levi escaped from to finish up dinner.

"You've lost more weight." Carla said, worried disapproval in her voice.

"No I haven't! I'm fine." Levi defended, his stomach turning as the steam from dinner blew into his face.

"You're as white as a sheet. You're obviously still sick, you need to see a doctor. Let Grisha check you out now." Carla insisted.

"You're right, I will see a doctor, I promise." Levi said with a smile.

"You know I worry about you because I love you." She said.

"I know. I love you too." Levi smiled before picking up the plates and bringing them out.

Levi did his best to eat his food, it was a meal that he normally enjoyed; like everything Carla made. Maybe he should ask someone about the all day morning sickness.

"Grisha, why don't you take Levi into your office and examine him? He's still sick." Carla said, giving Levi a look after everyone was finished and he had barely touched it.

"That's a good idea. Levi?" Grisha said, pushing out his chair to stand up.

"Actually, guys, we have something for you." Eren said, pulling a small box out of his pocket and holding it out for his mother.

"Can't it wait until we figure out what's wrong with Levi?" Carla huffed.

"It really can't." Levi said quietly, suppressing a smile as he glanced over to Eren.

"What is it? Why are you giving us a present?" She said, her temper flaring as she pulled off the ribbon and took the cover off the small white box.

She frowned, looking at it in confusion before her eyes widening. She gasped, looking up at them before picking up the small stick inside the box.

"I-is this... are you..." She stammered as her eyes shimmered with tears, staring at Levi.

"I am." He said quietly with a nod, a smile stretching over his face as he reached across the table to take Eren's offered hand.

"We figured out what was making Levi sick." Eren chuckled as a sob left Carla's throat before she jumped up from her chair and pulled Levi into the tightest hug he had ever felt.

"Mom! You're going to suffocate him!" Eren laughed.

"Carla! Don't squish the baby!" Grisha said, coming over to them and putting an arm on his wife as she finally let go of the Omega.

"I can't believe it. When did you find out?" She asked.

"Yesterday. I should have realized sooner but I didn't think it was possible." Levi said quietly.

"This is amazing Levi. I knew you looked different!" Pieck said, smiling from down in her seat.

"Good job." Zeke said, clapping Eren on the back with a grin.

"This is incredible Levi, but we need to check you out as soon as possible. Make sure everything is okay and that your healthy." Grisha said, his voice reasonable, but his smile bright.

"Yeah." Levi nodded. "I want to do everything I can to keep the baby healthy." He said, laying his hand on his stomach, his mind drifting to the baby he had lost a few years before. He couldn't let that happen again.

"You will, we all will." Carla said, hugging him again, much softer this time

"How about we take a ride down to my office now." Grisha suggested.

"Right now?" Levi asked with surprise as he was pulled towards the entrance to get his coat and shoes. If there was one thing he had learned about the Jaegars', they didn't waste any time.

Grisha did every test imaginable on Levi to make sure he and the baby were doing well and would continue to do so.

"How are you feeling?" Eren asked as they walked up the stairs to their apartment.

"Good." Levi smiled. "A little nauseated but good." He said. 

The test results were good; his blood pressure was a little low and he was a little underweight, but Grisha had given him a prescription to help with the sickness and assurances that everything would be fine.

There was no explanation for his healed insides; while they still showed signs of trauma but as far as the test could tell, everything seemed to be in working order. Levi would need to have frequent checkups, more so than a standard pregnancy, but that was just a precaution.

He was still having trouble believing it, he was still worried that he wouldn't be strong enough, but the way Eren's eyes had lit up when their baby's heartbeat broadcasted through that little machine, Levi had never been more excited for what was to come.

"Good. I'll make you some ginger tea when we get inside and we can relax, maybe skype Hange to tell her." Eren said, wrapping his arm around him as they walked down the hallway.

"Yeah, if she'll answer. I've been texting all day and nothing!" Levi said, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

"I'm sure she's fine." Eren grinned, unlocking the door and leading them inside.

"LEEEVI!" Hange screeched, Levi didn't even see her before she was everywhere; arms flailing and holding him tight.

"Hange!? What the fuck are you doing here?" He yelled, overwhelmed by the surprise of seeing her, she was supposed to be across the Country.

"Eren called me yesterday, we were on a plane this morning. Oh my god Levi! I can't believe it! I'm so happy!" Hange cried, tears streaming down her face, matching Levi's own.

"I'm sorry, I know you wanted to tell her but I wanted to surprise you." Eren smiled, standing beside Petra who was also looking a little misty with a large grin on her face.

"Well it fucking worked!" Levi sobbed, reaching an arm out for Petra to join in on the hug.

"Levi, we're so happy for you! After all the trouble you've had, everything that's happened." Petra cried.

"Thank you." Levi sniffled. "I can't stop crying. What the hell is wrong with me?" He said, wiping his eyes hastily as they finally let go.

"Aw babe, it's just the hormones." Eren laughed, wrapping his arms around Levi and resting his chin on his head. 

"You're right, you did this to me." Levi said, glaring up at his smiling husband who leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"I did." Eren chuckled. "How about you three go into the living room to catch up and I'll make you some tea and snacks." He said.

"You're perfect." Levi whispered, looking up at him, his chest aching with love at he stared at his attentive, caring, wonderful husband.

"Keep that in mind when you're in labor, yeah?" He laughed, giving him another quick kiss before heading to the kitchen.

They spent hours talking, catching up, and making plans. Levi always forgot just how much he missed Hange until he saw her again; her crazy antics, her over excitable personality, her intense caring for her friends. Everything that made her his best friend.

Levi had a vague memory of Eren carrying him to bed after he had fallen asleep on Hange's shoulder, the Alpha taking up his new spot in the bed; arm over his hips and head resting on his stomach.

"This is so much fun! We haven't been on a road trip in forever!!" Hange yelled, excitedly from the back seat.

"It is!" Erwin laughed from behind the wheel.

It had been a few days since Hange had come to visit, they had spent as much time as possible together and with Erwin. 

Levi had managed to get another day off, Erwin had gotten his father to watch the kids while Mike was at work, and the three of them were spending the day together on the road. Hange had bought more snack than remotely necessary, they stopped anywhere even slightly interesting on the way, and just laughed and enjoyed their time together before reaching their destination.

"Hi Mom." Levi said quietly, making himself comfortable on the grass beside Kuchel's headstone. "Sorry I haven't been here in a while, but I still miss you every day." He said, bringing his knees up to his chest.

"A lot has happened since I was here last. Turned out I had Hanahaki, I should have told you last time but I was in denial, I thought I could beat it on my own. Turns out I couldn't, I had surgery, I forgot everyone, especially Eren but you know it didn't stop him." Levi explained, a smile on his face as he remembered everything they had gone through together and how Eren never faltered.

"Now the Hanahaki is gone, mine and his, we're married, we're happy, I have my memories back we're expecting a baby." He said quietly.

"I'm scared. I lost a baby a few years ago, I didn't know I was pregnant, I shouldn't have been, the doctors told me I couldn't. What if I lose this one too? What if I'm not strong enough?" Levi said, resting his head on his knees.

"I wish you were here with me." He whispered as tears fell from his eyes. "I have Carla, and Kimi; they have both been wonderful Mother's to me, but they can't compare to you. You were my best friend, I wish we could have saved you."

He cried softly before he felt Hange hugging him, looking up to find her and Erwin sitting down beside him on the grass.

"We didn't mean to overhear." Erwin said, putting his arm around him.

"You're going to be great Levi." Hange assured with her head on his shoulder

"There's nothing to worry about, we're all here for you every step of the way." Erwin said.

"We promise Ms. Ackerman, we'll take care of him so well, we'll make you proud." Hange laughed.

"You guys are the best." Levi whispered, smiling at his best friends before the three of them continued their conversation with his mother.

There wasn't much to being pregnant; he still felt sick most of the time but it was manageable, and he had the medication Grisha had prescribed for him if it became too much. 

Otherwise, he felt fine, though that didn't stop him from being scared. He worried constantly over the baby; he took his prenatal vitamins religiously, even going as far as to cut them in half and taking it twice a day to absorb as much of the nutrients as he could, he watched what he ate, cutting out anything unhealthy or processed, he tried to relax and stop doing anything overly strenuous, even lessening his hours at work.

Avoiding strenuous activity was easy when Eren and Mikasa had teamed up to ensure he did absolutely nothing. Even while Eren was away on a business trip, Mikasa had insisted he had come over for dinner every night; even with her parents staying with her for a few days.

It was nice spending time with Kimi and Shawn, he hadn't seen them this much in a while and he really enjoyed their company.

Kimi had many thoughts on the baby; what to do for the room, what theme to go with, what to buy, and about every possible thing she could think of. She might have been even more excited for the baby than Eren was; if that was even possible.

Shawn just smiled happily beside her, he wasn't nearly as vocal about his excitement but he was Shawn and he acted accordingly; even giving Levi a light hug after Kimi nearly squeezed the baby out of him before heading to bed. 

"I should probably head home." Levi said sleepily as he melted back into Mikasa's oddly comfortable couch. 

"Why don't you stay?" Mikasa said, putting arm around him and pulling him into her.

"Your parents are here and your apartment is not very big." Levi laughed.

"Then let me drive you." Mikasa offered.

"I drove myself. Mikasa, I'm fine." Levi said, tilting his head back to look up at her with a smile.

"What if you break down?" She asked.

"It's a five minute drive." He chuckled.

"But what if you need something?" She insisted.

"Then I can get it myself." He said, turning to give her a look. "I can still do that you know, and Eren will be back in a few days."

"I know, I'm just worried." Mikasa said quietly.

"I know, you wouldn't be Mikasa if you weren't worried." He smiled.

"Well that really is my baby cousin in there." She said, laying a hand on Levi's only slightly thickened belly.

"I'll take care of her the best I can." Levi smiled softly, his own hands moving to his stomach.

"Her?" Mikasa asked quietly, a smile on her face.

"I'm not sure, we weren't planning on finding out. I just picture a girl." Levi explained.

"A girl would be nice." Mikasa nodded with a smile.

"I guess you can drive me home, Sasha gets off in an hour, doesn’t she? She can swing by and pick you up." Levi said, watching the smile on Mikasa's face widen as she got up to grab their coats and Levi's keys.

Mikasa happily drove him home, walked him to his apartment, and even tucked him into bed. He felt like a child, but the contentment on her face convinced him to just go with it. He wondered if she'd ever have a baby one day, she would definitely be good at it, maybe even too good at it.

Levi was able to manage just fine without his husband, though he still missed him terribly and couldn't wait for him to come home, even managing to take the day off work to spend with Eren after picking him up at the airport.

He felt himself hurrying toward the stairs as he watched Eren rushing down them, trying to get past the others quickly without knocking them over. Eren dropped his bag onto the floor as he grabbed Levi into his arms, spinning him around in a tight hug.

"I hate business trips." Eren said, his face buried in Levi's shoulder.

"You were only gone a week." Levi laughed as the Alpha put him back on his feet.

"I hate being away from you. Especially now." Eren said, kneeling onto the floor to wrap his arms around Levi's waist and rest his head against his stomach. "I missed you too Baby." He whispered as Levi felt himself blush.

"We missed you too." Levi said, pulling the younger man up for a kiss. "Come on, let's go home." He said before Eren nodded, grabbed his bag and put an arm around Levi and they headed home.

They walked into the apartment and straight to the bedroom when Eren collapsed dramatically on the bed.

"Long flight?" Levi asked, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest and a smile in his face.

"Long week." Eren pouted, holding his arms out for Levi. "I can't sleep without you." He added as Levi climbed onto the bed beside him, curling into Eren's chest.

"Neither can I." he whispered, closing his eyes and breathing in the Alpha's scent he had missed so much over the week.

He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until his eyes opened a few hours later, still in Eren's arms. He looked up at his still sleeping husband, the late afternoon sun streaming in through the window, turning his skin golden and captivating Levi with his beauty.

He was often struck with how beautiful his husband was, his creamy, slightly tanned skin, his straight nose, amazing bone structure. Everyone commented on Eren's eyes and with good reason but he was more than just amazing eyes. Even without the dazzling oceans on his face he was still such a gorgeous person; inside and out.

Levi often wondered what their child would look like; would they be like Eren? Him? Maybe they would look like their grandparents, or maybe they would be a mix of everyone. Either way Levi knew the child was going to be beautiful and he couldn't wait to meet them.

"What are you thinking?" Eren's voice drew him out of his thoughts, he hadn't noticed the larger man stirring but now he was leaning over him with a small smile on his face.

"What the baby will look like." Levi said softly as Eren's hands moved down to his stomach.

"Just like you I hope." He grinned.

"Why me?" Levi asked.

"Because you are so beautiful." Eren said, his voice husky as his lips moved down to his neck and nipping lightly.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you." Levi laughed, tangling his fingers in Eren's hair.

"Let's go out for dinner. Somewhere nice, we'll get dressed up and have a real date night." Eren said, between the light kisses he was giving over Levi's face.

"That sounds nice." Levi hummed.

 "Alright, I'm going to grab a quick shower and we'll get going." Eren said, capturing his lips in a deep kiss before hopping up and heading to the bathroom, leaving Levi to go fish out his nice suit and get ready.

"Levi? What's wrong?" Eren asked, his voice panicked as he came into the room, a towel around his neck to catch the water dripping from his hair.

"I have a problem." Levi said, laying on his back on the bed, partially dressed with an arm over his eyes.

"What is it? Are you okay?" He asked, wide eyes filled with worry.

"My pants don't fit." Levi mumbled, watching the concern fade from his face, replaced by amusement. 

"Don't laugh at me." Levi grumbled, though it was a little closer to a whine.

"I'm sorry, you're just too cute." Eren laughed.

"I'm not cute, I'm fat." Levi said, turning onto his side.

"You're not fat, you're having a baby. My baby." Eren said, putting his hands on Levi's sided and kissing the small bump of Levi's belly through the opening in his pants.

"You are beautiful and amazing. You're getting bigger means the baby is healthy and growing

How about tomorrow we go out any buy you some maternity clothes." Eren suggested.

"But what do I wear now? I can't wear my jeans to a nice restaurant." Levi said, he was pouting, but he didn't care.

"You can wear whatever you want, sweatpants for all I care." Eren smiled. "You can borrow my dress pants if you want." He added.

"I might have something actually." Levi said thoughtfully, getting up and heading to his closet.

A few minutes later, it was as though Levi's small breakdown had never happened and they were on their way out the door.

"I'm not sure how I feel about you wearing an outfit bought by an ex-boyfriend." Eren said crossing his arms over his chest.

"An ex-boyfriend being your brother, who I dated like four years ago and only because you were taken." Levi said, zipping his coat over his silver flowing shirt.

"Oh well, then I guess I’ll let it slide, especially since you look so good in it." Eren grinned, leaning down to kiss his glaring husband.

"Let's go." Levi grumbled, slipping on his shoes and heading out the door.

Levi went back to work the next day, running around to catch up from taking the day before off. He spent most days running around trying to get everything finished, he had taken on as much work as possible, trying to move up into the company. The few parties he had planned himself had been successful, but he was still working up to covering larger events on his own. 

He knew he was ready, most of the people he worked with knew he was ready, but they still hadn't given him any extra responsibility; possibly even less since he told them of his pregnancy.

He tried not to think about it, he didn't even mention it out loud; instead he just kept working as hard as he could in hopes of moving up soon.

Levi found himself rushing through the hospital, watching the room numbers ascending as he walked down the maternity ward.

"Am I too late?" He asked, knocking on the heavy hospital room door, eyes moving toward a tired looking but smiling Annie in the bed, Bertolt in the chair beside her with a small bundle in his arms.

"No, you're right on time." Annie said quietly and Levi tiptoed in, laying his bag on the empty chair and taking a peak.

"Wow, she's beautiful guys." He said quietly, watching the sleeping newborn in her father's arms. "How are you doing?" He asked, leaning over to kiss Annie on the forehead.

"I'm good. Labour went well, I'm just tired." Annie said.

"She did great." Bert said, smiling broadly at his girlfriend.

"I bet she did." Levi said, sitting on the bed and putting an arm around her. 

"Do you want to hold her?" Bert asked as Levi reached out with a nod, Bert transferring the baby into his arms.

"Meet Gabi." Annie smiled.

"It’s nice to meet you Gabi, I'm your Uncle Levi." Levi whispered, watching the tiny baby stirring in his arms.

"How are you doing? You're going to be right here in a few months." Annie said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I'm good." Levi lied, his nausea acting up most of the day. "You'll have to give me some tips." He laughed.

They talked for a while, managing to stay about 45 minutes past visiting hours before the nurses kicked him out.

"Hey." Eren said, waiting by the hospital entrance.

"Hi. You didn't see the baby." Levi said, circling his arms around Eren's waist and going in for a hug, he hadn't been having a great day before he got here but just having his Alpha with him always made things a little better.

"I stopped in on my lunch for a minute. She's gorgeous isn't she." Eren said, holding him tight.

"She is." Levi said, refusing to let go.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Eren asked.

"Just a hard day." Levi said quietly, leaning away to give Eren a small, reassuring smile.

"You work too hard." Eren said with his own smile. "How about we go home and take a long hot bath." He suggested.

"Yes please." Levi smiled, standing up on his toes to reach in for a kiss.

Baths were Levi's favorite thing, baths with Eren even more so. He loved soaking in the hot water, lavender baby wash turning it silky, and relaxing against Eren's firm, slippery chest as he held him close. 

If he had to decide on a happy place, this was it. Even when his day had been long and stressful, his stomach rolling throughout, his belly aching with the slow stretch of his growing child.

"I'm starting to prune." Levi said, lifting his wrinkled fingers up for Eren to see, though his eyes still barely opened and his head laying on Eren's chest.

"Want to get out?" Eren chuckled.

"Mmmm." Levi moaned, too lazy to get up.

Eren chuckled, moving Levi enough to get up out of the tub to dry himself before then lifting Levi out.

"I'm too heavy." Levi whined.

"You've put on like five pounds, and that was after losing ten in the first place." Eren laughed, carrying him toward the bedroom.

"I'm only five months in, I'll be too heavy to lift by the end." Levi grumbled.

"Nope." Eren said with a pop. "I'm a big strong Alpha, I'll carry you even if you gain 100 pounds." He said, laying him down on the bed, before sliding in beside him.

"Are you feeling better?" Eren asked, spooning him and kissing his neck lightly, his scent warm, happy, and slightly aroused.

"A bit, yeah. Thank you." Levi whispered, humming contently as Eren's lips moved over his bond mark.

"Good. I love you so much." Eren said.

"I love you too." Levi said, turning over toward his husband and looking up at him, Eren's hands moving over his sides, legs, bum.

"Eren... I..." He began nervously.

"You don't want to." Eren smiled, hands moving safely back up to his sides.

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered.

"No! You're allowed to not want to." Eren chuckled.

"I know, I just... I've been all for it lately, the hormones are driving me crazy and I can't get enough, and I can smell it in your scent you want it right now too, but I just... I'm not feeling well, I'm tired..." Levi was rambling and Eren stopped him with a deep kiss.

"You don't have to explain. Don't get me wrong, you're adorable when you ramble, but there's no need. Don't worry about my scent, I have an incredibly sexy, naked Omega in my bed, who wouldn't have some want in their scent?" He laughed, kissing Levi's nose.

"You're not feeling well, how about we just cuddle until you fall asleep." Eren suggested.

"You're perfect." Levi whispered.

"So are you." Eren smiled, pulling Levi's back into his chest and laying down together until Levi fell asleep.

Levi's sleep was restless, he couldn't remember what he was dreaming about or even if he was dreaming at all, but he was fitful and distressed as he slept.

He opened his eyes, only then realizing that Eren was shaking him gently, his eyes wide and worried.

"Levi, what's wrong? You're whimpering, and sweating." Eren said, smoothing Levi's hair off his forehead.

"I-I don't know." Levi said, feeling disoriented, sick to his stomach, and slick. "A-am I in heat?" He whispered.

"You're pregnant." Eren stated in confusion.

"I know... I... I must have had an accident." Levi whimpered.

"Oh, no, babe. It's okay, you're pregnant sometimes that happens, and maybe it's just slick." Eren said, hands moving down to the bed between Levi's legs to feel the dampness.

"Levi!" Eren gasped when he brought his hand up, Levi's eyes locking onto the red substance on Eren's fingers, the color draining from his face as he met Eren's panicked eyes.

Eren rolled out of bed in an instant, grabbing his cellphone and dialing hastily as Levi threw the blankets off himself to see the puddle of blood beneath him on the bed.

He was in a daze, Eren's voice shouting into the phone, giving directions to the ambulance and begging them to hurry. He threw the phone on the bed before rushing to the drawers, throwing on a T-shirt and sweatpants, before grabbing some and helping Levi into them.

"I'm sorry Eren." Levi sobbed quietly as Eren carried him down the stairs of the apartment building.

"No. Shhh." Eren whispered. "911 said it might not be that. Just hold on." His voice trembled and Levi buried his face into Eren's chest, crying into his shirt.

This couldn't be happening, not again. He had been so careful.

But he hadn't had he. He had been working too much, stressing himself out and running around constantly.

Was this his fault? Had he caused this? 

Was he about to lose another baby?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oookay, so I wasn't actually intending to end it like that. I had planned a similar event but not quite like that...
> 
> Sorry, please don't hate me. but then again it's not really me without throwing in some angst.
> 
> Please tell me what you think! 
> 
> I love comments and I've been feeling really bad lately so they'll make me feel better.  
> (My company had to let a couple of us go so my last day of my job that I really love is Wednesday so I'm really bummed on top of the depressive episode I mentioned last chapter) 
> 
> Geez I dump stuff on you guys too much. I apologize.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy! 
> 
> I've got some bad news...  
> This is the last chapter.
> 
> I'm sorry, I didn't give you a heads up but I didn't even know until I was half way through this chapter!  
> I was going to do an epilogue but I think it might be a separate one shot instead. Told in Eren's POV.  
> I'm not sure when, but keep your eye out if you're interested!
> 
> Please Enjoy!

  

 

 

Levi faded in and out of consciousness; his eyes unfocused, blurry with tears. and his ears ringing. 

He watched as the lights passed by as paramedics poked and prodded him.  

  

This was familiar. 

Too familiar. Except this time he knew what was happening, he knew what was wrong. 

His baby was in trouble... 

  

He felt his eyes flooding with tears once more, looking over to Eren. The Alpha's eyes were bloodshot and red, his hands holding Levi's up to his lips. 

The noises around him were muffled in his panic, but he could hear the paramedics say something about his heartrate. He could tell they were talking to him, but his mind was too fuzzy and incoherent to understand what that were saying. He watched as Eren nodded at them before leaning down and kissing Levi gently. 

He could taste the salty with tears on Eren's lips as his vision started fading to black. 

  

  

Levi opened his eyes slowly; it must have been hours since he had fallen asleep as the sun was up and streaming through the window. 

He looked around confused.  

It took him a minute to realize where he was before he gasped and sat up abruptly; pain shooting through his abdomen, his hands moving to the small bump of his belly, and his eyes taking in the various machines around the room and the tubes connecting him to them. 

The heart monitor was beeping rapidly, waking Eren who jumped up from his uncomfortable sleeping position, hunched over the side of the bed with Levi's hand in his own. 

 

"Hey, hey, you're okay." He said, rubbing Levi's back and letting out his soothing Alpha scent, the one he knew always calmed Levi down when he needed it. 

"Where's the baby?" Levi asked, his voice panicked but his heart rate slowing slightly with Eren's scent and the tender look in his eyes. 

"She's still in there." Eren smiled, gently pushing Levi back against the pillows and leaning over to kiss his forehead as his hand moved over the swell of his belly. 

"She's there?" Levi asked, his eyes wide with surprise and filling with tears of relief. 

"She is." Eren said, lips stretching into a grin. "We're not totally clear yet, but she's holding on." he said, bringing Levi hand to his lips. 

"Y-you keep saying she." Levi whispered, his mind spinning and blanking all at once over the news. 

"We always call her she." Eren said, his grin stretching a little wider. 

"No, we sometimes call her she, we usually call her the baby, sometimes he." Levi questioned desperately. 

"They took you in for an ultrasound while you were sedated, the nurse let it slip, she didn't realize in the panic that we weren't finding out the sex." Eren said, his hand gently sliding over Levi's stomach; relief flooded his senses as he felt small kicks of the baby inside, she was reacting to her father's touch like usual and it was the most amazing feeling to know she was still okay in there. 

"Tell me what happened." Levi said quietly, relaxing into his pillow and watching his husband smile at the movement. 

"Placenta Abruption." Eren stated, eyes looking up to meet Levi's. "It's mild, so it's not good but it could have been so much worse." He said, his eyes filled with emotion and the left over feelings of terror he had experienced earlier. 

"Abruption? What does that mean?" Levi asked trying to keep his panic at bay. 

"The placenta detached, but only slightly. The bleeding seems to have slowed down in the last few hours so they think it should be okay, but you're in for some extreme bed rest and monitoring." Eren explained. 

"B-but she's okay?" Levi asked. 

"Right now she's okay. They're going to give her some medication to help with development in case she has to be born early. There's still risks, it could detach more, she could have growth defects or other problems.  

"Did I do something to cause this?" Levi whispered, terrified to know the answer. 

"No, Levi, you didn't." Eren said, brushing the hair from Levi's face, his eyes filled with sadness and love for the other man, "These things happen, most of the time it's unknown why but the few things known to cause it don't apply to you." He explained. 

"Like what?" Levi asked quietly. 

"You don't smoke, do drugs, you're not over 35 or carrying multiple babies. Your blood pressure was a little high last night but not enough to cause anything. The only thing that might have affect it was the damage done by those pills." Eren explained. 

"So it is my fault." Levi said, looking away. 

"No, babe. It's not." Eren insisted. "You'll just have to take it easy from now on. You can do that for me right?" He asked with a soft smile. 

"Yes." He said quietly, nodding and looking up at him once more. "Lay with me?" He whispered, shifting over carefully to make room for his Alpha. 

"Of course." Eren smiled, slipping off his shoes and climbing under the thin covers of the hospital bed, drawing Levi into him gently, and relaxing into the pillows. 

 

"This brings back conflicting memories." Eren said softly, kissing Levi's head. 

"Better outcome than last time." Levi whispered, rubbing his stomach. 

"Much better. You're okay, the baby is okay, you're both going to recover, and you'll remember who I am this time." Eren chuckled. 

"I'll never forget you again." Levi said, smiling up at him. 

"Good. But if you did I'd do it all again." Eren smiled. 

"Oh yeah?" Levi asked with a grin. 

"In a heartbeat." Eren said leaning in to kiss him. "You're worth it." He added, squeezing Levi gently. 

Levi leaned back into Eren's chest, breathing in his scent, and relaxing in his arms. Eren's scent was the only one ever able to calm him, the only one that felt right around him. He loved his husband more than anything and couldn't bare the thought of losing him or doing anything to hurt him. 

 

 

"What if I lost the baby again?" Levi asked, his voice barely audible, "Would you hate me?" 

"Never!" Eren said, his voice almost offended by the question. "Levi, you should know this by now." 

"I know. I just... I can't..." Levi sobbed, curling into himself, as Eren laid his head against the back of Levi's neck. 

"Losing the baby would be devastating, but we would get through it, just like we've gotten though everything else." Eren whispered, kissing his neck. "As long as we have each other we can get through anything." He said. 

Levi nodded, feeling a tear fall onto the skin of his neck as his own streamed freely down his face.  

It was true, all they needed was each other, but it would be nice if they could be three. 

 

 

 

They had fallen asleep together on the tiny bed, both exhausted from the ordeal. Levi opened his eyes a few hours later, the setting sun turning the room orange, and a new occupant in the room.   

Carla's shimmery and bloodshot eyes met his and a smile spread over her face. "What are we going to do with you?" She said, her voice raspy from the obvious crying she had been doing. 

"I'm sorry." Levi whispered and she shook her head. 

"No apologizing, this was beyond your control." She said, reaching over to take his hand. 

"She's alive." He said. 

"I know." Carla smiled, a tear slipping down her cheek. "Grisha told me. I hope you don't mind." She said. 

"No, you're my mother." Levi whispered as a few more tears escaped her eyes. 

"Yes I am." She nodded, kissing his hand. "Everything is going to be fine."  

 

 

Levi was confined to bed rest and extensive monitoring, the bleeding had stopped but he had to spend some time in the hospital so they could act quickly if it happened again. 

He slept most of the time, the medication and the atmosphere making him drowsy, Eren by his side nearly every minute. 

The Alpha had only left his side to make the necessary phone calls or go down to the cafeteria for coffee; he clocked it at about three minutes if there was no line, though the ladies in the cafeteria often let the hopelessly devoted Alpha skip the line so he could get back to his pregnant Omega as soon as possible. 

 

Levi was on the phone when Eren came back, his brow quirking and his hand patting down his pockets. 

"How'd you get my phone?" He asked as Levi ended the call. 

"I swiped it when you were sleeping. I'm sorry, mine is at home." Levi said, laying it on the table. 

"No, it's fine. Who did you call? Erwin?" Eren asked, sitting down on the bed beside him. 

"Work." Levi said quietly. 

"What? I called them already, said you needed some time off." Eren said, running his hand over Levi's arm. 

"I quit." Levi said simply. 

"You quit?" Eren asked in surprise. "I thought you loved your job." He said. 

"I do... I did. I work a lot and I'm getting no where with it, I thought they were giving me more responsibility but it's been months and I've barely gotten more than an Anniversary party. They have me running around constantly making sure everyone else's plans work out properly... and it's probably why this happened." Levi said, wrapping his arms around his stomach. 

"I'm sure it's not." Eren said pulling him closer. 

"I can barely go to the bathroom without supervision right now, and you think me running around like a mad person had nothing to do with it?" Levi scoffed. 

"We don't know what caused it, blaming yourself is not going to help either." Eren said, kissing his head. 

"My faulty Uterus caused it." Levi mumbled, laying his head on Eren's chest. 

"Levi, you're amazing. For years everyone told you that you couldn't have a baby and look at you, you've been carrying her for six months. We've had a little bump in the road but you're doing great and I know you're going to take care of her for the next three months until she's all ready and perfect." Eren said, rubbing Levi's bump and leaning down to kiss his neck. 

"I will." Levi nodded, turning to face him and curling into his chest and relaxing for a few moments. 

 

"You don't think I should have quit my job?" He asked meekly 

"I support your decision completely, as long as it's what you want." Eren insisted. 

"Thank you." Levi whispered. 

"Besides, I make more than enough money to support the three of us and the thought of being your Sugar Daddy is very appealing." Eren grinned, earning himself a glare and a playful smack to the chest. 

"I love you." Levi smiled, looking up at him. 

"I love you too." Eren said with a soft smile. 

 

 

 

He stayed in the hospital for another week before he was released for more bed rest. He complained as Eren wheeled him to the car, though didn't fight it. He was going to do absolutely everything he could to keep the baby safe. 

 

"You are not carrying me up multiple flights of stairs." Levi said from Eren's arms. 

"We've had this conversation already, you weigh nothing." Eren laughed. 

"I'm pregnant and bloated from the IV, and we weren't talking about stairs!" Levi insisted. 

"I like carrying you, I feel like Prince Charming." Eren grinned. 

"Does that make me a Princess?" Levi asked flatly. 

"The most beautiful and ruggedly independent Princess there is." Eren laughed. 

"Fine." Levi said, tucking his head under Eren's chin. 

"So I set up the TV in the bedroom, Mom brought over a mini-fridge, and the kettle is within reach." Eren explained, his breath beginning to come out a little laboured. 

"So three months in bed huh?" Levi asked, wiggling to get down when Eren reached their apartment floor. 

"Sounds Kinky." Eren grinned, putting an arm around his shoulder as Levi glared at him. 

"I'm being serious." Levi whined quietly. 

"I know, I'm sorry." Eren smiled, stopping and turning Levi towards and looking down into his eyes.  "It's going to be fine. You're just going to relax for a little while." He said. 

"But there's so much to do. What about the baby's room? We need a change table, a crib, blankets, clothes!" Levi said, slightly panicked. 

"Babe, it's going to be fine! We'll get everything, you can buy everything online, or you can scout it out online and I'll go to the store to pick it up, we can even video chat while I'm in the store." Eren said. 

"You're hilarious." Levi glared at him. 

"I like to think so." Eren laughed, draping his arm back around Levi's shoulder and leading him down the hall to their apartment and leading him inside. 

 

"Surprise!!"  

Levi eyes widened as the lights were flicked on and all of his friends jumped out from behind the furniture. 

"W-what is going on?" Levi asked, looking around at the smiling faces around the room, the balloons, streamers, and the 'Baby Shower' banner. 

"It's a baby shower dummy." Mikasa said, coming over and pulling him into a hug. 

"I can see that. I thought I was supposed to be on bed rest." Levi said. 

"You are! We've thought of everything." Erwin smiled as he, Mike, Reiner, and Bert moved to the side to show the bed in the middle of the living room floor that they had been hiding. 

"You guys are ridiculous." Levi laughed. "Is that my old bed?" He asked. 

"Well we had to make room for our present." Kimi gushed, she was practically bouncing on her feet as Shawn held her in place and Kenny looked uncomfortable beside them. 

"Ours too." Carla grinned, she and Grisha standing beside them. 

"My present?" Levi asked looking between them in wonder.  

"They went in together, you're going to love it." Mikasa smiled, linking his arm through his and leading him to his old room. 

 

His heart stopped when he walked inside.  

The walls were painted light blue, there was baby artwork on the walls, teddy bears on some shelves, a change table, a rocking chair, a baby dresser, and a crib with beautiful ocean themed bedding. 

"O-oh... my..." Levi breathed, eyes wide as he looked around. 

"Do you like it?" Eren asked, wrapping his arms around Levi's waist from behind and resting his head on Levi's shoulder. 

"I love it." Levi whispered, wiping the wetness away from his face. 

"Really?" Kimi asked as they piled into the room. 

"So much. How did you do this?" Levi asked, eyes moving over his family. 

"Eren let us in, he told us the things you liked and what you wanted, we just went from there." Kimi said. 

"This is amazing, you got the bedding I wanted, and a diaper genie? You thought of everything." Levi said, walking over to the crib, running his fingers over the details in the wood. The crib matched the rest of the furniture only in color, but it was beautiful and old fashion. 

"Where did you get this crib?" He asked. 

"It was yours." Kenny said, walking into the room. Levi hadn't even seen him in the crowd of guests in the other room, honestly he was surprised Kenny was even there, the older man hated things like this. 

"Your Mom left it with me after you were too big for it, it's actually the same one we used as children, I fixed it up a bit and stained it. It's good as new." Kenny said. 

"Kenny..." Levi sobbed quietly, looking up at his Uncle. 

"Now, don't start the fucking waterworks." Kenny grumbled uncomfortably. 

"Sorry, sorry." Levi sniffled, wiping his face hastily. "My hormones are everywhere right now. This is absolutely wonderful Kenny, I can't believe you did this." He said. 

"Hey, I love ya kid." Kenny said, pulling Levi into an awkward hug. "I'm glad you're both okay." He said quietly. 

"Thank you." Levi said quietly. 

"Alright alright, enough of this, aren't we supposed to be having some lame party? Eren bring your husband to the damn bed." Kenny said gruffly, he really wasn't one for showing emotion. 

 

"He's right, you've been out of bed long enough, let's visit with the rest of our guests." Eren smiled, swooping Levi up into his arms and carrying him back out into the living room where the rest of the party were waiting. 

 

"You look great Levi, we're so glad you're okay." Krista smiled, coming up to give him a hug once he was settled in the bed. 

"Yeah it would suck pretty bad if something happened to either of you." Ymir smiled from beside her. 

"It would, thanks." Levi smiled, hugging Krista back before his eyes landed on Annie and Gabi. 

"Hey, we can't stay long, but we wanted to see you." She smiled softly. 

"Annie! You had a baby a week ago! You should be home!" Levi said, stretching his arms out for the newborn. 

"I know, I know. But I was in the hospital the same time you were and they wouldn't let me see you. I had to come." She said, putting the sleeping infant into his arms. 

"I'm sorry I scared all of you." He said, looking around the room. 

"You should be!!" Hange's voice rang through the computer that was set up on the table nearby. 

"Hange! I'm sorry." Levi said, unable to help the smile from seeing his best friends face. 

"I know. We were almost on a plane as soon as we heard, but Eren insisted you were fine, and if we wanted to be there when she's born... I should be there!" Hange insisted. 

"No, Hange. It's okay, you stay there until she's born, then I'm really going to need you. You too Petra." Levi said. 

"We wouldn't miss it! We'll see you in three and a half months!" Petra smiled. 

 

"Alright, enough sadness! There are presents to open!!" Connie yelled, grabbing everyone's attention, including Gabi's. 

"Sorry." He said quietly as she began to cry, Bert patted him on the back with a soft smile. 

"No it's okay, we have to head out anyway. I'll call you tomorrow when Gabi's down for a nap." Annie smiled, picking her back up. 

"Yes, please do. Come back to visit when you're feeling better." Levi said, waving to them both as they made their way out of the apartment. 

 

"First one is from us." Erwin said, sitting down on the bed beside him and wrapping his arm around him. 

"Erwin!" Levi smiled, clutching his shirt and pulling his second favorite Alpha impossibly close to him. "You're here." He breathed. 

"Of course I'm here. I've been waiting all week to see you, how are you feeling?" He asked. 

"I'll be fine. Where are the kids?" Levi asked.  

"With my parents. We can stay all night if you want us." Mike smiled, sitting on the other side of him. 

"Please!" Levi smiled. 

"If I were a jealous man." Eren chuckled, lifting the large box from the two Alpha's onto the bed. 

"You are a jealous man. But even you know better than to be jealous of these two." Levi laughed from between them. "Open that one for me, would ya?" He smiled. 

"You're not wrong." Eren said, tearing the paper off to show the infant car seat and stroller combo. 

"I'm sure you'll want to get out as much as possible after she's born, after all this bedrest." Erwin said, kissing the top of his head. 

"Definitely!" Levi chuckled. 

"Ours next." Mikasa smiled, handing him a much smaller box. 

It held a baby book with the same ocean theme as the crib bedding and the bedroom decorations. Levi tried not to cry as he looked it over, hugging Mikasa and Sasha tightly fo the thoughtful gift. 

 

The rest of the evening was filled with laughing, crying, more presents than he could possibly need. He was absolutely exhausted by the end of it; speaking to every one of his friends, ensuring them that he was okay. 

By the end of the evening Levi was dozing off, sandwiched between Eren and Erwin while the last of the guests were saying their goodbyes. 

"You two can stay, as long as you don't mind sleeping in the living room." Eren suggested, running his fingers through Levi's hair gently. 

"No, I think we're going to head home, not often we get the house to ourselves." Erwin chuckled. 

"Yes, go have sex with your husband. Have fun." Levi mumbled. 

"As you wish." Erwin laughed, kissing Levi's head. 

"Don't forget to call me." Levi added. 

"We're going to visit so much you'll be sick of us." Mike laughed, stepping up to Erwin and wrapping an arm around him. 

"Good." Levi smiled, eyes still closed. 

 

Once they were gone, Eren lifted Levi into his arms and carried him to their bedroom. 

"How are you? Was this okay?" Eren asked, sliding in beside him. 

"It was perfect. I'm just a little tired." Levi smiled at his husband, pulling him down for a kiss. "You are amazing, I love you." He added. 

"Anything for you." Eren smiled. 

 

 

The happiness of the party didn't linger very long.  

Levi knew things were okay, he knew he was doing everything he could to take care of the baby, but the time he spent confined to his bed, he couldn't help but to worry about everything. 

It helped to have visitors or phone calls; Mikasa had stopped by everyday after work, often with a home cooked meal made by Sasha, as well as Carla every morning to make him breakfast occasionally clean the apartment. 

Erwin and Mike would come over on weekends, Erwin sometimes coming during the week as well but he worried about the kids stressing Levi out, despite Levi's protests. 

Annie called him almost daily, though it took her a couple weeks to visit. Her visits might have been his favorite, she would bring the baby and they would lay on the bed, talking quietly as one of them held the newborn and talk about life with a new baby, and how their children were going to be great friends. 

 

The rest of his friends would text him almost constantly, visit when they could, and do anything in their power to keep his mind off the things that had happened and the things that still could. 

They were wonderful, every one of them, and Levi loved them all dearly, but he couldn't stop the depression that overcame him as he was stuck in his bed. 

His favorite time of day was when Eren would come home from work, the Alpha would help him out of bed and bring him to the kitchen so they could eat supper at the table like normal people, even walk with him down the outside hallway and back before taking a shower together and crawling back into bed. 

 

"You're getting so big." Eren grinned as he rubbed moisturizer over the stretched skin of Levi's belly. 

"Yeah it's not just her." Levi grumbled. 

"Levi, you have not gained that much weight." Eren laughed. 

"I lay around all day with minimal exercise, I'm getting chubby." Levi complained. 

"Well you have to eat, look at what you're doing! Besides, you have never looked more beautiful." Eren said, his hands massaging Levi's sides and running down his legs. 

"I'll probably never be thin again." Levi said, 

"So? You'll always be beautiful no matter how big or small you are." Eren insisted, his hands running over Levi's hip bones, still protruding slightly under his taunt belly. 

Levi moaned quietly as Eren massaged the cream into his thighs, feeling himself harden at the sensation. 

"Someone's awake I see." Eren grinned, his fingers moving softly over Levi's growing arousal as he gasped. 

"W-we can't. They said no sex." Levi said, his voice breathy as he looked up at his husband. 

"No penetration, there was nothing about orgasms." Eren purred, pumping Levi slowly. 

"B-but what about you?" Levi gasped. 

"What about me? I'm happy doing this for you." Eren said. 

"We haven't had sex in weeks, it's not fair." Levi said. 

"I can get myself off on my own later, especially with this mental picture." Eren grinned, shifting himself down on the bed and surrounding Levi with the wet heat of his mouth. 

Levi cried out, throwing his head back at the sensation, his legs trembling and slick leaking from his aching entrance. 

"A-at least move up here where I c-can reach you." Levi stammered, reaching his arm out for Eren. 

"Okay, but no unnecessary movement or strain." Eren demanded, repositioning himself on the bed to Levi's request before pulling Levi's erection back into his mouth. 

Levi whimpered as he pumped Eren in his hand, bringing him to full hardness before reaching out with his tongue to swipe at the tip.  

Eren groaned, the air around them thick with Alpha arousal. Levi loved the smell of his Alpha, he loved how strong it was when Levi pleasured him, how Eren's hips would tremble when Levi took him into his mouth. 

He moaned around Eren's arousal in his mouth as Eren worked his own magic on him, he was getting so close, but he needed more. Slick was gushing out of him like he was in heat, his body begging for his Alpha's knot. 

 

"You smell so good." Eren growled, his fingers wrapping around Levi's erection once more as he kissed over Levi's thighs. "Are you close baby?" 

"I-inside. P-please. A finger... anything." Levi begged, rocking his hips looking for friction as his stuttering lips searched out Eren's tip once more.  

He felt Eren's fingers pull at his skin, exposing him completely to his Alpha as Eren kissed every inch of visible skin.  

Levi cried out when Eren's tongue plunged inside of him, his legs shaking violently as Eren worked him open. He felt tears streaming down his eyes as pleasure overtook him, they hadn't done anything like this in weeks, he had to pleasure Eren with his hand since his mouth wasn't working while his head was thrown back into the pillow. 

"So delicious." Eren growled, his mouth moving back to Levi's straining erection before stars exploded through his vision as he released into Eren's mouth. 

"Y-you're not finished." Levi whispered as Eren moved up on the bed and capturing Levi's lips with his own. 

"I'm fine." Eren chuckled, slipping his arm behind Levi to pull him closer into his chest. Levi moved his hand down Eren's body and began pumping him slowly. 

"After the baby is born and you're fully healed, just try to keep my hands off you." Eren said, his voice breathy and his lips against Levi's neck. 

"I can't wait." Levi whispered as Eren shuddered beside him, spilling over his hand as he leaned up to kiss him. He reached for the tissues beside the bed to clean Eren off before cuddling into hsi alpha and slowly drifting off to sleep. 

 

 

 

Levi was still in bed weeks later, he was getting huge and going stir crazy. Eren still took him for walks regularly, even going as far as to let him walk outside in the park beside the hospital after his appointments were going exceptionally well. 

Eren was a saint.  

He went to work every day, came home for dinner afterwards; often heating up things others has brought over though occasionally cooking himself for the two of them.  

Levi tried to help out a bit, but he had never seen Eren quite so angry with him as the day he made dinner for the two of them, he didn't even get to go for a walk for four days after and hadn't left his bed without permission or an escort since. 

He was so wonderful, Levi was feeling terrible. Eren hadn't done anything fun or enjoyable since Levi had been confined to his bed. 

 

That was how he ended it up watching bad horror movies with Connie and Krista on Friday night while Reiner and Ymir took a reluctant Eren out for the night. 

"Want some chips?" Connie asked, reaching over the side of the bed and grabbing one of the bags he brought with him. 

"Yes!" Krista  grinned, taking a handful and focusing back on the movie, she was entranced by the horrible B-Rated movie. 

"I have some cut up fruit in the mini fridge there, can you get it for me?" Levi asked. 

"I thought being pregnant meant you could pig out and it didn't matter." Connie laughed. 

"Processed food isn't good for the baby. I don't want to take any chances." Levi said, his hand running over his large belly. 

"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt, but okay." Connie smiled, reaching into the fridge to grab the container of fruit. 

"You're doing so great Levi!" Krista said, moving back on the bed and curling into the pregnant Omega. 

"Yeah, we know how much you hate sitting still" Connie said, his hand moving over the bump, grinning as the baby kicked him. 

"Thanks guys, I just want to make sure she's okay." Levi smiled. 

"You've made it this far! You're almost due aren't you?" Krista asked. 

"Yeah, I'm at 35 weeks, hopefully she stays in another five." Levi said quietly. 

"You can do it!" Connie smiled, putting his arm around Levi and Krista's head lay on his chest. 

"You'll keep her safe until she's ready." She said, her hands smoothing over his belly. 

"Thanks guys." Levi smiled, relaxing into the pillows, soothed by the comforting Omegas beside him as they continued watching their movies. 

 

"Aww, how cute." Eren giggled, his voice slurred and drawing Levi out of his doze.  

He looked up to find Eren leaning on the doorframe with a goofy smile on his face as Krista and Connie stirred from their own sleep. 

"You had fun?" Levi laughed quietly. 

"I drank a lot!" Eren giggled again. 

"He had a great time, drank a little more than he meant to but we took care of him." Reiner laughed, bringing in the emptied garbage bin from the bathroom and laying it on the floor beside the bed. 

"If he's sick in the morning call me and we'll come take care of him. Do not, I repeat, do not get up with him. No holding his hair back, no making breakfast, nothing!" Ymir demanded, putting a large bottle of water and a few pills on the bedside table. 

"I'm not that drunk!" Eren poked his head back in through the doorway with his toothbrush hanging from his mouth and rolling his eyes. 

"Oh man! Drunk Eren is hilarious!" Connie laughed, bouncing on the bed beside Levi. 

"Agreed!" Krista laughed, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Ymir, who kissed the top of her head. 

"He was hilarious, he completely let loose, had a few drinks, got really bad at pool, and danced the night away." Reiner laughed. 

"Did he?" Levi laughed. 

"Oh don't worry, every time someone tried to dance with him he told them all about his wonderful bed ridden pregnant husband who demanded he get out for the evening." Reiner explained with a grin. 

"I wasn't worried." Levi smiled. 

Levi never found himself jealous over the people around Eren, at least not since the beginning of their relationship. Eren was a gorgeous man and a strong, desirable Alpha; Omegas and Betas would flock to him, flirting shamelessly, especially after had loosened up with a few drinks. 

Levi knew he had nothing to worry about, Eren was his husband, his bonded mate. They had been in love for 20 years, there was no one else for either of them; Eren loved Levi as much as Levi loved him, the people around them that found either of them interesting were of no consequence, they only had eyes for each other. 

 

"Good because that boy can not see past your pretty face." Ymir laughed, pinching Levi's chin. 

"I know." Levi blushed, jumping as they heard a loud bang and a yelp. 

"Shit, be right back." Reiner said, dashing out of the room. 

Levi turned over to fix up the pillows and make room for Eren before Reiner partially carried the towel clad Alpha into the bedroom. 

"You took a shower?" Levi asked, raising a brow. 

"I smelled like everybody." Eren whined. "I just want to smell like you." He added, giving Levi his best puppy eyes while one hand rubbed his head. 

"Did you hurt yourself?" Levi asked, trying to hide his smile. 

"The shampoo bottle fell off the shelf when he slipped, hit him on the head, nothing serious. He's all yours." Reiner laughed, tossing Eren towards the bed.  

"Do you need us to stay, in case he gets sick? It is our fault." Ymir asked. 

"No, thanks. We'll be fine, I'll call if I need you, I promise." Levi assured. 

"Now get out because I'm getting naked!" Eren said, jumping up with the ends of his towel in hand. 

"Gone! See ya Levi, we'll talk later!" Reiner said, pulling a delightedly curious Connie with him. 

"Krista!" Ymir growled as Krista wiggled her eyebrows at Levi, kissed his head and skipped out the door with a giggle. 

 

"Ow Ow." Levi laughed as Eren wiggled his hips with a goofy smile and playing with the ends of his towel in what Levi could only assume Eren thought was sexy in his tipsy haze.  

"Take it off!" Lev shouted to egg him on, getting a nice view of his Alpha as Eren tossed the towel towards the hamper. 

"Like what you see?" Eren asked, climbing onto the bed and crawling slowly toward Levi. 

"Always." Levi smiled, reaching his arms around Eren's neck and pulling him down to his lips. 

"You had a good time?" Levi asked as Eren lay down beside him. 

"I did. It was a lot of fun. Would have been a lot more if you were there." Eren said, resting his head on Levi's chest. 

"Anyone cute hit on you?" Levi laughed, running his fingers through his hair. 

"I guess. I danced with a couple people but none of them could compare to you, you know that right?" Eren asked, looking up into Levi's eyes. 

"I know you think so." Levi smiled. 

"I do. I love you so much." Eren said, kissing Levi deeply. 

"I love you too." Levi whispered when they parted. "Now, take those Tylenol, drink the water, and go to sleep." He added. 

"Will do." Eren smiled, turning over to swallow the pills and chug the water.  

"Goodnight beautiful." Eren said, kissing Levi once more on the lips before moving down Levi's body, "Goodnight baby." He whispered, kissing Levi's belly. 

 

 

Levi's favorite days were the one he had Doctor's appointments.  

He didn't dare to get out of bed without someone with him, not even to pee unless it was an emergency. He was getting huge and terrified that he would do something to the baby if he moved around too much. 

On days with Doctor's appointments, Eren would come home early, help him down their stairs and into the car. They would always leave a little early and Eren would take the long way to give Levi a bit of scenery to look at before heading into the hospital. 

"Eren said he'll be here in 90 minutes, how about a nice bath while you wait?" Carla asked, poking her head in the room, a dishtowel and a cup from lunch in her hand. 

"You don't have to." Levi insisted. 

"Oh hush, I love helping you." Carla smiled. "I'll go run the water." She said, going back out as Levi slowly got up and made his way toward the bathroom. 

 

"You're starting to look like your old self." Carla said as she washed his hair for him. 

"Yeah, I haven't been able to cut it in a while." Levi said, his eyes closed in comfort as Carla massaged his scalp. 

"Maybe one day after the baby is born I can babysit while you can go out for a spa day. Get your hair cut, have a massage." Carla suggested. 

"That would be nice." Levi hummed. 

"You deserve it." Carla smiled. "How are you? Really." She asked. 

"I'm fine. I'm just a little bored." Levi said. 

"Eren tells me you seem depressed. You put on a good show for us all but you're sad and he's worried about you." Carla said. 

"I'm okay. I promise. I'm just scared for the baby, I wasn't strong enough to keep the last one, or to keep this one safe on my own." Levi said quietly as Carla rinsed his hair with the removable shower head. 

"You are doing so well Levi. You weren't in a good place the first time. You didn't know you were pregnant, you were sick with your Hanahaki, upset about Eren. You had a lot going on, it was not your fault. What happen a few months ago was not your fault either. This happens to a lot of people, especially when they've have trouble before. You are not weak, you have kept her so safe all this time. She is growing and thriving, you're so big and you're doing great." Carla said, pulling his face towards her to kiss his cheek. 

"Thanks." Levi whispered, feeling tears prickling in his eyes. 

"You're amazing Levi, don't forget that." Carla smiled. "And never forget that you can talk to me about anything." She said looking deep into his eyes. 

"Thank you." Levi said again, relaxing into the warm water of his bath. 

"you know, she'll be here before you know it, then you'll miss spending all that time in bed." Carla laughed, getting up and heading out of the bathroom to finish up what she had been doing earlier. 

 

Levi got out of the tub and ready for his appointment, Eren arriving soon after, and after much persisting and a promise to let him carry Levi back up the stairs when they get home they were off to their appointment. 

 

Everything was perfect, the baby was healthy and active, Levi was healthy and had gained an appropriate amount of weight (more than Levi was happy with but it was for the baby). 

The Doctor mentioned emitting Levi to the hospital in a couple days for the last weeks of his pregnancy, just in case, which they promised to think about but Levi did not like the thought of it. 

 

"Hey, you alright?" Eren asked, wheeling Levi through the hallway of the hospital. 

"Yeah, I'm just not looking forward to staying at the hospital." Levi said. 

"I know, but our apartment had a lot of stairs, and the closer you are the higher the risk of something happening. I'll be here all the time, I promise. Whenever I'm not at work I will be here." Eren insisted. 

"You can't do that. You need to sleep, you have an important job you can't be overtired or in pain from sleeping in hospital chairs." Levi insisted. 

"You're the most important." Eren said, stopping the chair and leaning down to kiss him. 

"So are you." Levi insisted, looking up into his eyes. 

"How about I take a couple weeks off while you're in here?" Eren asked. 

"No! You wanted to take time off when the baby was born, you can't take extra to sit in a hospital room waiting for me to go into labour." Levi said. 

"Okay, how about I take tomorrow off, we can go out for a nice dinner tonight, maybe catch a movie or go for a walk. Then tomorrow we can sleep in and spend the entire day together." Eren said. 

"Really? You'll let me?" Levi asked. 

"The Doctor said you're doing fine and I know how down you've been. Annnd maybe we bring the wheelchair for the movie. The mall is really big." Eren suggested with a smile. 

"I'm not dressed for anywhere nice." Levi said quietly. 

"We can stop home first." Eren said. 

"Nothing fits." Levi's eyes moved down to his protruding stomach. 

"Then we'll go shopping first." Eren grinned as he began wheeling Levi towards the entrance once more. 

 

Eren seemed excited to be out with Levi, they hadn't been able to do anything together in weeks. He wheeled Levi all around the store, looking at everything, Levi had to stop Eren from buying him everything in sight, and they settled on a modest yet fancy outfit from the maternity section that Levi actually liked. 

 

"You look beautiful." Eren smiled, pulling out Levi's chair in the restaurant. 

"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself." Levi smiled up at his husband as he took a seat across from him. 

"I miss taking you out." Eren smiled, looking into Levi's eyes and reaching across the table to take his hand as a young woman with long dark hair came up to them. 

"Hello! My name is Florian and I'll be your server tonight, can I start you off with some drinks?" She asked with a smile, her eyes glancing between the two before her smile widened. 

"Water is fine." Eren said politely. 

"You two are so sweet, are you celebrating something special?" She asked. 

"I suppose we are." Eren smiled at Levi, squeezing his hand. 

"Then waters not going to cut it! How about I get you some champagne, on the house if you tell me what you're celebrating." She grinned. 

"I'm good with water." Levi said, leaning back in the chair, his hand running over his belly as he eyes widened impossibly larger than before. 

"We're celebrating our fast approaching parenthood." Eren said. 

"That is so exciting!! Well how about I swing you a free dessert instead. I'll go get your water." She said excitedly and headed back to the kitchen. 

 

They had a great dinner, the food was great, the atmosphere soothing. The talked, they laughed, it was like most of their time together but this time they were dressed up and out. Levi was having a better time than he had had in forever. 

He leaned back in his chair with a hand over his stomach, he must have had a look of discomfort on his face since Eren's eyes flashed in worry. 

"Are you okay?" Eren asked, almost jumping up from the table. 

"I am. She's just a little extra active right now." Levi said, bringing Eren's hand to the spot the baby was kicking. 

"Wow! Does it hurt? She's really going at it." Eren laughed. 

"A little. The food was a lot richer than we're used to, I think it upset both of our stomachs a little." Levi laughed. "I'm having a really great time though." He smiled, leaning forward to kiss his husband. 

"Good. So am I." Eren smiled. 

"Okay, now she is using my bladder as a punching bag. I'm going to the restroom, how about you get the bill and we can go home." Levi said, letting Eren help him stand before heading to the bathroom slowly. 

The cramping in his stomach was getting worse as he made his way across the restaurant, he was starting to hope he made it to the bathroom in time without an embarrassing accident. 

"Oh, hello Mr. Jaegar. Are you feeling alright?" Florian asked, popping out of the kitchen to find Levi leaning against the wall holding his stomach. 

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just a little food disagreement." Levi tried to laugh it off. 

"Oh yeah, I have a bunch of nieces and nephews and let me tell you, that is normal! My sister could eat something every day then out of no where nope! Gone! Straight to the bathroom after two bites." Florian smiled, putting her arm around him and helping him walk toward the bathrooms. 

"Thanks." Levi smiled. 

"No problem! If you want I can grab your husband for you once we get there." Florian said. 

"That would be great. Thank you." Levi said, feeling sweat gathering on his skin and his stomach twisting painfully before he felt a gush of liquid in his pants and stopped abruptly." 

"Oh my god." Florian gasped, covering her mouth. 

"F-florian... please... please tell me it's not blood." Levi said, his eyes shut tight, afraid to look. 

"Phil!" Florian hissed at a nearby server. "Come here! Get mop and a wet floor sign, then tell Mr. Jaegar at table sixteen that his husbands needs him in the bathroom." She instructed before leading Levi to the chairs just outside of the bathroom doors as he felt another gush of fluid leave him. 

He felt the tears steaming down his face, he shouldn't have gone out, he shouldn't have exerted himself so much. Why did he have to make Eren feel guilty? Why couldn't he just be happy staying in bed for a few more weeks? 

"Shh, Mr. Jaegar, you're okay. It's not blood, your water broke. You're going to have your baby!" Florian said with a big smile, taking out her cell phone. 

"My water... but it's too soon!" Levi said looking up at her as she spoke on the phone, giving directions to an ambulance. 

"Levi!" Eren shouted, running up the narrow hallway and falling to his knees in front of him, hands on his face, looking into his eyes in panic. 

"M-my water broke. It can't! It's too soon! She won't make it!" Levi cried. 

"Levi, you're okay." Eren said, his eyes softening and his lips stretching into a smile. "You're days away from 37 weeks, it's still a little early but nothing serious. She's going to be fine, just breath with me." He said, letting his scent surround him and taking deep breaths for Levi to follow. 

Levi nodded, trying to match Eren's breathing. "She'll be okay?" He asked, holding his stomach as a contraction hit. 

"Yes, she's okay. Let's get to the hospital." Eren said, rubbing Levi's back until it subsided. 

"The ambulance is on it's way, should be here in less than five minutes." Florian said with a smile. 

"Thank you so much. Here's my information. I'll have someone come by later to pay for the bill and give you an amazing tip." Eren said, giving her his business card and lifting his husband into his arms and carrying him toward the entrance to meet the ambulance. 

 

It was like a blur, Levi's contractions were coming fast, his labour progressing rapidly, before he knew it he was in the delivery room with Eren by his side; holding his hand and telling him how great he was doing. 

 

The entire event took barely a few hours, though It felt like days he was in labour; worrying about the baby, how she was holding up, if her lungs were fully developed, if something was wrong with her because of the trouble he had had. 

Relief and wonder filled him after one last push and tiny cries filled the room. 

"It's a girl." The doctor said with a smile as the nurses pulled off Levi's hospital gown and placed the tiny crying baby on his chest. 

Levi's eyes were as wide as they could possibly be as he looked around the room, the doctor was working down between his legs, the nurses busing themselves around the room getting ready for the baby when the skin on skin contact was finished, and Eren was beside him blubbering like a child. 

He looked back at the tiny person, laying on his chest, his hands reaching up to hold her there securely as a blanket was laid over them both. He couldn't believe this was his child. That this tiny baby had been inside him for so long and was here.  

She was so beautiful, even covered in amniotic and other bodily fluids, her soft hair plastered to her forehead and her big blue eyes moving up to his face. 

"Hi Isabel." Levi whispered, kissing her forehead lightly. 

"She's so beautiful." Eren sobbed, leaning over to capture Levi's lips with his own, holding them both close to him. 

 

A couple hours later Levi was settled into one of the rooms on the maternity ward, Isabel had been cleaned up, weighed, and checked over. There was seemingly nothing wrong with her, everything was developed, she was breathing okay, she took her first feeding and she was now asleep in her mother's arms as her father lay beside them in the bed. 

Carla had been the first to hold her besides her parents, they both bawled the entire time, Carla with a fresh supply upon learning her name was 'Isabel Kuchel Carla Jaegar' after both of her grandmothers. 

 

Levi had come a long way since he sat in his big empty bedroom, in the brand new apartment with his mother all those years ago.  

He never dreamed any of this would happen when the skinny little boy with the large smile and peculiar eyes showed up at his door and wanted to become his friend. 

They had been through so much, together and apart, good times and bad, met some great people. 

 

As Levi looked down at his and Eren's beautiful baby, asleep in his arms and thought the wonderful family she had just completed, he knew it had all been worth it. 

 

He wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it!!
> 
> I was going to have this out days ago but I got stricken with strep throat and my blinding headache would not allow it.  
> Also fun fact! I had/have five job interviews this week! Job interviews when you can barely speak because you tonsils are the size of golf balls is FUN! hoping to get those determination points lol.
> 
> So I'm relieved to have this finished but I'm still sad to see it go.  
> You guys are so amazing! All the comments and kudos! I love you all!
> 
> Keep an eye out for the related oneshot!  
> I'm also still thinking of redoing "100% Not Weird!"  
> And I am always up for and welcome suggestions!
> 
> Please tell me what you think of my story, especially now that it's finished.
> 
> <3<3


End file.
